Tis the Season!
by Wamakai
Summary: Twelve  plus 1  one-shots involving the hot men of the KHR series and *drum roll please!* YOU! Yep, this is a reader x various one shot. Hope you like it, but please R&R? Many thanks!  Complete
1. Giotto

**Note to my readers and your requests, this is based on pairings of the reader and the KHR characters, so, please just name a character and bear in mind, these are Christmas stories. Here is the bonus Christmas eve chappie! I will say one thing though; twelve short stories are not an easy fete! Let's hope I finish them before that! This is definitely AU since Primo is meant to be in the past, but I think you'll like it, but don't let me decide that for you, let me know what you think!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR nor do I claim any rights to it. I am only responsible for the plot and nothing else.**

It's almost Christmas. The tree you put up is now standing in the corner of your living room and the Christmas decorations are up. You smile with your cup of coffee in hand. You usually spend Christmas alone. It's not by choice, but something you have come to accept. Your heart and your home are both empty. After a fun-filled day with your friends, you have come to accept that you will always come to an empty home.

It doesn't particularly make you sad since you feel like you have marked your territory and this is your domain. The couch doesn't have to sit just right as long as it faces the TV at the angle you like. The pictures on the mantelpiece; the random cloud picture and the flower vase near the statue, don't have to mean anything specific as long as they make sense to you. You don't want to fill in that tiny hole in the wall because of the memory attached to it. No, you're not bitter. There are people in the world with better houses who have far less than you do. No, you're not particularly regretful.

Contentment trumps loneliness after all.

However, this Christmas eve, as you walked to the books store, you bumped into someone. You apologised without looking up. You had a lot to do since Christmas purchases would be made that day. It was good to know that books still made people happy, you supposed, but your aching feet would be protesting in the morning. You didn't have time to stop and chide whoever it was for not looking where they were going. You weren't paying that much attention either and it was just a harmless accident.

You walked away, your head held down as you tried to add up some figures in your head not noticing the golden head of hair had turned to watch you go down the street. Consequently, you missed the smile that seemed to promise that you would meet again.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The store was busy as usual. You had to attend to everything yourself since your assistant had suddenly called in sick. It sounded bad and you had done this before. You were grateful for the lunch break. Of course it couldn't be too long or you would lose business. You walked out of the back and noticed that there was still someone around.

"Excuse me," you said. The golden head pulled its face out of the book it was reading and orange-coloured eyes met yours.

"Oh, hello," he said shutting the book and putting it back on the shelf.

"Um, hello," you said irritated at your flustered condition, "we're closed for lunch." You turned and headed for the counter.

"I know, that's why I'm here," he said coming to lean on the counter. He was a little too close for your comfort, but then again, you had never really felt like this in a long time. Not since your High School crush on the Italian exchange student in your school. He had been in most of your classes in grade school as well, but it was only in High school that you realised you had a crush on him. By then he had a girlfriend and was part of a group you could never hope to join even if it was just for his attention. His name was...

"You don't remember me, do you (Name)?" he asked resting his head on his palm. Your eyes widened and your blush grew as you remembered why those eyes bothered you so much and why you got so flustered. It was him! It was your crush from High School! He had changed somewhat and you hadn't seen him in a while. You played with your fingers and sighed looking down.

"Hello Giotto," you said rather shyly. He smiled.

"I'm glad you remembered. Hey, I'd like to take you to lunch today, if you don't mind the sudden invite," he said . You turned. Was he serious? He turned up out of the blue and suddenly he wanted to take you to lunch? Well, you were feeling a bit hungry so you might as well. You could also catch up like two reasonable adults who hadn't seen each other in a while, you thought stressing the words _**reasonable adult**_ to your rapidly beating heart.

"Sure," you said and turned to smile at him. He beamed and went to get your coat from the door.

"Then, shall we?" he asked waiting for you. If this wasn't a dream come true, you weren't sure what was!

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

"Oh no, that was you?" he asked looking at you in horror.

"You didn't know? Who else did you think it was?" you asked crossing your arms.

"That girl from third grade who didn't like guys. She wasn't my favourite person in the world and revenge seemed like such a good idea... I'm so sorry! You have to let me make it up to you. How about coming over to my place for Christmas eve dinner?" he said with a lopsided grin.

"You want to make up to me for something that happened that long ago?" you asked raising an eyebrow. He couldn't be serious.

"Well, yeah. I wondered why you wouldn't talk to me the next day in school..." he said lifting his glass of freshly squeezed juice to his lips.

"Y... You noticed?" you asked getting flustered again.

"Of course. I wanted to be your friend but, well, I'm really sorry. Maybe we could start over this time?" he asked with a playful pout that he was totally hopeless at. You laughed and he smiled. You couldn't believe that he was actually doing this. It was the basic equivalent of asking you out! Of course you weren't going to decline. Besides, you needed some excitement outside of your comfortable domain.

"Well, I don't know about starting over, but I'll think about coming for a visit," you said.

"Great, I'll be in your shop while you think then," he said with a mischievous gleam. He wasn't going to let up until you agreed. You sighed shaking your head and got up. You had taken way more time for lunch than you intended, but you figured it was worth it. One or two purchases were nothing major to skip out on.

Giotto walked you to your shop and true to his word, he hung around until closing time.

"So, shall we go to my place? I promise to be on my best behaviour," he said holding his hands behind his back. You sighed again knowing that he wouldn't give up and decided that you would rather not cook tonight. Take-away was out of the question. With the season came the traffic and your delivery wouldn't get there until much later.

"I'll cook," he said trying to bribe you further not knowing that you had already agreed.

"Okay, I'll come over, but don't I need to change first or something?" you asked looking down at your jeans and favourite green sweater. It didn't exactly scream special dinner and neither did the jungle green "I heart books" t-shirt beneath the sweater.

"You look fine," he said giving you a warm smile. You smiled back and for a moment, you fancied that something special had happened between the two of you. Maybe, just maybe, you were getting your Christmas present early this year? Clearing your throat and blushing again, you stepped out of the store and locked it behind the two of you.

You got into his car (the latest Ferrari, you couldn't help but notice) and he smiled at you once more before driving off. Before long, you realised what part of town you were heading to. The big houses and wide lawns were indication enough. Your eyes widened slightly in wonder though you supposed you shouldn't have been surprised. Before you could reach for the door handle, the door was open and Giotto had extended a hand towards you. Was he really going to help you out of the car? Well, for sure you didn't mind.

You both went inside and you gawked at the sheer size of the place. It was huge! There was no way he could live in this great big place all alone!

"You live here? Alone?" you asked looking around.

"Well, something like that. You remember G from Middle School, right? He comes over once in a while with some friends... They're in Italy for the holidays so it's just me now. Come on, the kitchen's this way," he said taking your hand. You couldn't help the blush that made it's way to your cheeks then. Really, you should think about this more objectively. He wasn't holding your hand for any particularly special reason. He was just taking you to the kitchen... the very well equipped kitchen with all the latest appliances, some of which you weren't even sure were appliances or meant to be in the kitchen at all.

"So, what would you like me to make signora (Name)?" he asked wrapping an apron around his waist. You smiled watching him and shrugged. Anything was fine with you really.

"Very well, I'll decide. And what would you have to drink?" he asked opening the fridge, "we have some vintage wine, water; sparkling, mineral and tap, soda in cherry, orange and cola flavours, fruit juice..." he asked pulling out a bottle and grimacing at its contents then putting it back, "I don't think you'd like that one. It's not exactly... um... fruity." You laughed and grimaced too.

"In that case, I'll have some soda then – cherry, please." He nodded and handed you the bottle and a glass.

"Good choice. Now, on to dinner. Well, it'll be a bit of an Italian snack since our chef is off for the holidays and it's what I know how to make best," he said rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin.

"If it's edible, it's alright with me," you said and took a sip of your soda. He nodded and immediately went to work with some rice, cheese and eggs. Whatever he was making, you were sure it would taste amazing.

A while later, he brought back little golden brown balls of something he wouldn't tell you until you tasted it for yourself. He washed his hand once more then went to sit beside you.

"What is this?" You asked. He smiled and held one up for you to bite.

"Have one first and tell me if you like it," he said. He was insistent so you thought you might as well. You took one bite and shut your eyes as flavour exploded in your mouth. It was delicious! And the cheese within came out in a long string. You smiled at him and he smiled back.

"It's called supplì," he said and cut the string of cheese with his fingers licking it off and finishing the rest of it. You couldn't possibly have mistaken the heated look he gave you when you licked your lips and brought your finger up to lick some of the cheese off too.

He held up another ball. Of course he didn't have to, but you didn't particularly mind. Not really. You took a bite and smiled as another string of cheese came out. Again he finished the other half. Maybe you had imagined the look. It was gone every time he held up another ball with a playful friendly grin... but it happened every time you looked at him as you bit and every time you brought your fingers to your lips.

Eventually, you finished all of the balls and he smiled getting up, your eyes never leaving his. He turned and went to the sink with the dishes. He was going to do the dishes too? This was new. In a house this big, you wouldn't expect him to be doing things himself and being able to cook. There should be a dozen servants at his beck and call! This man was a bit of a mystery now.

When he was done, he led you to the living room, a glass of wine in his hand as you talked. The easy atmosphere was very relaxing and before long, you were chatting like old friends, which you figured you were anyway. Then he took your hand in his somewhere during your conversation. You didn't notice it at first but when you did, you didn't really mind that either. Normal people did this all the time... right?

Then it was time to leave. He helped you into your coat and drove you home and once again opened the door for you. You regretted leaving like that. You hadn't talked about anything in particular, just caught up with each other's lives. You fumbled with your keys trying to tamp down the absolute disappointment you felt. He would leave tonight and that would be the end. You weren't sure that all that had happened so far wasn't a dream, but you supposed it would have been a nice dream.

You turned to say goodbye, only to have an arm wrap around your waist and soft lips descend on yours cutting off whatever words you were going to say next. It was merely a touch, not a proper kiss, as if asking if this was alright. You could feel him pull away, but your hands rose to his shoulders and into his hair pulling him close, holding him there. You didn't mind being alone, but you didn't really want to be alone again. He let go and looked at you with a warm smile.

"I'm sorry," he breathed hugging you, "I broke my promise." You remembered he had promised to be on his best behaviour. You smiled and hugged him back.

"I guess you'll have to make that up to me too," you sighed. He chuckled and kissed you once more.

"I'll do my best. Coffee down the street tomorrow morning? It's Sunday so we have a great chance to get the special Christmas breakfast..." he asked hopefully.

"It's a start," you said and nodded your approval. He smiled at you again holding your chin for a moment between his thumb and forefinger.

"Merry Christmas (Name)," he said softly before turning to leave. You sighed and went inside your house. You flipped on the lights, hung up your coat and looked around your home.

The decorations were just as they were when you had left that morning. The random pictures on the mantelpiece were still there. Your slightly angled couch was still in its place. The evident hole in the wall hadn't magically filled up either. Nothing in particular had changed, but you smiled realising that your world was just a little brighter this year.


	2. Lambo

**I had to rewrite this one. It's extra fluffy (my naughty phase has passed) for all you fluff-lovers. You might like this character. It is a little hard transitioning between him small and him TYL, but I think I've done a good job. So, please review? Many thanks!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR nor do I claim any rights to it or any of the characters in this fan fiction story. I own the plot and nothing else.**

He was the most annoying according to the other guardians and the cute little baby Reborn (especially him), but you didn't really understand why, until you were properly introduced. You had met the little terror at the tender age of eight. Lambo was nine and you were captivated. Of course it was much easier then.

You were at a hot-drinks stand with your mother getting hot chocolate when you saw him for the first time. His hair was in a large afro and his cow-print t-shirt, although weird, was what drew your attention most. For some reason, you loved cows. Yes, your mother had wondered what was wrong with you, but you really did like the poor silly creatures. As such, your room was decorated in white with black spots and that was the standard decoration for most of your things... but you had never actually seen them on someone before.

Fascinated, you had tapped him on the shoulder and smiled. He had looked at you then smirked and announced in a loud voice, "What do you want with Lambo-sama?" You had blinked and looked at him. Lambo-sama? Was he that important? You shrugged and beamed up at him.

"I like your shirt," you said. He had grinned triumphantly at the girl with him who had rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Hahaha! Hear that I-pin! I told you this print isn't stupid! It befits Lambo the Great! I have found another subordinate!" he announced again in an important voice thus drawing attention to all of you. The girl called I-pin had smiled at you and introduced herself then had dragged Lambo off with her. What an interesting boy, you thought, wondering if you would ever see him again. What had he meant by subordinate? Ah well, if you ever met, you would ask him. It was a big city so what were the chances?

Christmas came and went and a new year began. You couldn't wait to see all of your old friends again. You couldn't wait to tell them about your discovery of someone else who liked cow-prints as much as you did! Imagine your surprise when you literally bumped into the same boy in your school hallways! You stared at him and he smiled recognising you.

"Ah! My subordinate! It's good I found you here. Are you following Lambo-sama because he's awesome?" he asked raising his eyebrows. You wrinkled your forehead trying to catch up. What on earth was he talking about?

"Ah, I get it, I get it, you're taken by my sheer power. You have my permission to speak. What is your name?" he asked getting up and not bothering to help you.

"I'm (Name)," you said getting up and dusting yourself off. He laughed triumphantly as I-pin came rushing up.

"Lambo, stop it, we're going to be late! Hurry! Gokudera-san won't be happy if we're late!" she said taking his hand. She took a moment to greet you before she rushed off down the halls with him in tow. Well, that had been interesting.

That was the extent of your thoughts of Lambo's niceness. He picked on you all through the term and was partially the reason you finally decided you didn't much like cows any more. I-pin was very nice to you and was always not far behind Lambo. She made him more bearable to be around, but only by a fraction. You wondered how on earth those two could even live with each other. They weren't exactly brother and sister, but they were raised together, you later learned.

Then you met the rest of the men and women who had helped raise Lambo and I-pin. She had given you the grand tour of the mansion they lived in. You had never been in such a big house. The very first time you had been there had been amazing! You remembered regaling your mother all about it. She hadn't believed you, but after a couple of weeks, she had come to get you and was almost embarrassed by the sheer size of the place.

After that, your presence in the Vongola mansion, as it was called, was a normal thing. Everyone there knew you and you knew them... or about them as it were. There was this one guy who was never around but whom you heard about. I-pin said he was held up somewhere and couldn't come to the mansion but that was it. She didn't give you any more details and you didn't pry.

Whenever you came over, however, Lambo would call you his subordinate, order you around and demand that you played with him. It was fun at first so you changed your opinion of him again, then it got annoying. He wouldn't let you rest even for a moment! Sometimes he would come over to your house for the weekend and you wouldn't have fun at all! If you played pretend, he would always take the nice roles. If you played cards, he would always make you feel bad for losing and would throw a fit if he lost. Basically, he wasn't the best playmate in the world.

You were told, however that the five men and one of the women in the house were 'guardians.' You didn't fully understand it and thought they were probably like bodyguards or something. Again, you weren't given details, but they were all so nice to you. The one called Hibari was a little scary, but he didn't mind you spending time in his office sometimes, as long as you were quiet and didn't disturb him. He had very interesting books in there. Besides, he couldn't be that scary if, as you learned, he and Haru were in love. Of course Haru would bring it up to tease you and sometimes they would kiss in front of you, but it was no different from your mother and father at home.

Haru and Kyoko were very nice. They often took you out to ice cream or cake or both! You loved that time. Your mother would complain about sugar, but she didn't really mind since you didn't bother her about it so much. Chrome, one of the guardians, would join you too. She was usually quiet, but she was always nice to you too.

By the time you turned twelve, it was as if Lambo had changed. His frizzy hair was replaced by shorter curly locks and his smile became that much more appealing... or so you had been told. The girls in school always asked you about him. They knew you went home with him every day so it was no wonder they were so curious. That was the time you learned what a crush was. You, of course, didn't have one on Lambo. You had known him too long for that. I-pin applauded your judgement. She had been with him for longer.

You would never forget that Christmas. I-pin had made you wait in the hall while she went to get you a surprise gift and Lambo had come along then smiled at you. He glanced up briefly then stopped right in front of you, leaned down and kissed you cheek then walked away, easy as you please. You turned seventeen shades of red and stared at his retreating form. You had never been kissed before so that was a shock. I-pin came back and found you bright as a berry and asked you what was wrong.

You explained what had happened and she looked down the hall curiously. Then she had looked up and smiled, patted your back and handed you your gift assuring you that Lambo hadn't meant anything by that kiss. You pushed it aside and played with I-pin. Haru and Kyoko came in to get the both of you. They had been getting ready for their annual Christmas party and you were invited. It was going to be exciting. The Vongola always held wonderful parties.

Later that night, you stood in the same spot you had when you had entered waiting for I-pin to bring you your coat. She had said she would get it since she needed to go upstairs anyway which was where you had left it. You turned just in time to see Lambo come right up to you again, lean down and kiss your cheek for the second time that evening. This time you retaliated angrily.

"Why do you keep kissing me?" you asked grabbing him by the collar as he turned to leave. He hacked when you pulled and turned rubbing his throat. He pointed up and coughed a little. You looked up to see a sprig of mistletoe.

"If you stand under it, I have to kiss you. It's good luck," he said with a satisfied grin. He took a meaningful step towards you and you stuck out your tongue in disgust making a noise meant to state the same and stepped back and away from under the offending branch. You swore you would never as long as you lived stand under another mistletoe again!

I-pin came back just as you punched Lambo in the arm. You grabbed your coat and marched off in a huff. The nerve of that boy! You didn't even like kissing! It was one of those things grown-ups did that grossed you out. How could someone even like something like that? Your big sister and brother always gave you big sloppy wet kisses on your cheeks. You couldn't imagine how that happened with lips. They had to share spit! Yuck! Well, you wouldn't be coming back to that house for a while – not until every single mistletoe branch had been removed, that is, way after Christmas had passed.

When you turned eighteen, Both Lambo and I-pin had been there. Lambo had already earned his title as heart-breaker all over the school. He didn't have a girlfriend as far as you knew. Now that you were older, your friendship had been re-established and if I-pin wasn't there, it was up to you to make sure Lambo didn't get himself into too much trouble.

You had learned, the year before, that the men you had grown up with, including Lambo, were all in the Mafia. It was something you were to keep secret and Hibari had taken the time to explain everything to you. That meant that learning this secret was a very serious matter. You had been afraid to see anyone for weeks after that. It had been a shock. As far as you knew, the Mafia was not a good group of people and your siblings and parents had always warned you about it.

It made a lot of sense though. It explained all the secrecy from before and the sudden bruises and marks on Lambo's face and hands. Sometimes he would break a leg or worse; there was the one time he had gone into a coma. You had been so afraid he wouldn't come back. When he did, you had hugged him tight and cried, but after that, everything was back to normal. Now you understood all of that. There was the chance that you might never see one or more of those nice people again! You got used to it eventually, as much as anyone would who knew the kind of danger their friends could be in. I-pin came to see you every day and Lambo and a boy called Fuuta with whom they also grew up.

Now, they were all there to celebrate your entrance into adulthood. Lambo had also given you a gift this year, but he had blushed furiously when you hugged him. That was strange. You had never seen him react like that before. Oh well, you could always explore that later. That Christmas, the same thing had happened. You were very careful to stay away from the mistletoe in case Lambo got any ideas. He had given you a gift and blushed when you had happily thanked him.

Haru noticed and smiled then whispered to you that maybe Lambo like you. Liked you? Lambo? That was impossible. Sure he was pretty hot as far as any guy went and you weren't too bad yourself, but a relationship? You had never thought about that before.

The second most memorable Christmas came the next year when you were nineteen. Lambo had some right up to you and held up a bit of mistletoe. You had widened your eyes wondering what he was doing when he pulled you right to him and kissed your lips. It wasn't your first kiss y any means. You had had boyfriends before and in fact, you were considering getting another one really soon... but this was a very nice kiss.

He had pulled away then and handed you your Christmas gift. You blushed this time. Everyone was pretending they didn't see that. Haru winked at you and I-pin and Kyoko smiled. The others looked away uncomfortably. It was pretty funny,but that was the Christmas you had gotten a new boyfriend. As he held you when the party simmered down, you couldn't help but think how much more different the world was.

You truly didn't regret ever meeting that boy in the cow-print shirt all those years ago. Just look what a wonderful guy he had turned into.

_A/N_: I know there's a tiny Hibari x Haru bit... I just couldn't resist! Merry Christmas!


	3. Belphegor

**I have made a breakthrough! I have written my very first fic on a Varia character, put him mostly IC and I have included Christmas! I'm a genius! I am! Just read to find out who he is and what I've done although admittedly I was feeling a little more naughty than nice with this one, and tell me if you share my view! Excitement! Let me know what you think, yes?**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR nor do I claim any rights to it. I only own the plot and nothing else.**

It was Christmas-time for crying out loud! You weren't meant to be working on this stupid mission! What the hell? Apparently some rival famiglia with not the slightest inclination to have some respect for the holidays had decided this was the best time to lay an attack on the family. And to top it all off, you had to work with Belphegor and Fran!

Fran you didn't mind so much, but the blonde with the non-existent eyes and the annoying laugh grated on your last nerve. You hated how he acted around you, as if he'd never seen a woman before. Regardless, you could either die by the boss' hand or go deaf from Squalo's shouting if you didn't do it. Neither case scenario was the best for you so you went ahead with the mission.

Ignoring his presence beside you, you crept down the tree and went up to get a closer look. Behind you, Belphegor glared at you and Fran sighed. Usually, this meant they didn't agree with what you were doing, but you never really cared for their opinion. You had been doing this longer than either of them, despite the fact that you were the youngest in the group. Motioning to them, you crept forward and stopped feeling a hostile presence.

Bel poked you in the ribs and you turned sharply to face him.

"Ushishishi, What are you going to do now? We're in enemy territory and we don't have a game plan," he said with a grin on his face. This guy was honestly not all there. You rolled your eyes and turned back to the building in front of you. It would be standard procedure. You were the only person alive who had gotten into and out of Vindice without the morbid guardians of that frightful prison ever finding you. By the time they had noticed that you had been there, it was too late to do anything. You were given a compromise; either you became one of them, or you promised to never set foot near the prison again. It didn't take a genius to figure out which one you picked. That would explain why you were in the Varia.

This highly guarded castle was no different from all the others you knew. You were an expert on stealth. It was a pity you hadn't been hired in the time of the Millefiore. The guys had been discussing that event over and over so you pretty much knew the whole story. You would have been extra useful to the Vongola, but you still were now so it didn't matter either way. Back to the matter at hand. There were several windows, each with guards in them no doubt. Michaelli Hector Giovanni Lambardi was never to be underestimated when it came to security.

Your mission: Kill Michaelli Lambardi.

Your mind was working a mile a minute. Sensors, beams, guards, watchdogs, fences... The one thing you knew about places like these is that it was always easier to walk in through the front door. That was your plan of action. Fran looked alright with it – well as much as he could with his one expression and monotone voice. He was going to go with you in any case. Belphegor sighed and looked at you with a smile.

"You're a hard one, (Name)-chan," he said and got up with you. You would have told him off about calling you that. You hated how he would sometimes use your name in such a casual way, as if he was your best friend or worse, you thought with a shudder, your boyfriend. You would get him for that later. You hiked up your skirt a couple of inches and pulled your top into a knot above your belly. There was no man alive who could resist you (well, except Lussuria for obvious reasons) when you decided to play with their minds.

Walking up to the gate, you filled them in on the whole plan. Belphegor laughed. He marvelled at the things your mind could work out apparently. You had beaten him a couple of times in chess and he had been looking forward to challenging you at every turn. He never won any of your competitions and you supposed that made him even more fascinated with you, much to your chagrin. Even now, your plan was foolproof. Fran watched your exchange with amusement.

"Sempai, you know (Name)-san isn't impressed by the thoughts of an idiot prince... That hurts. Could you please stop throwing your knives at me?" he said and pulled out one of the five knives lodged into his arm then bent it. You sighed. Wonderful. They were about to start again.

"Only if you shut up first you stupid frog," replied the incensed prince with a laugh.

"Stop it both of you. If we're going to do this, you're going to have to work together. You can fight when we get back," you hissed and turned to smile at the guard.

"State your business!" he said with a thick accent. No matter. You were used to that.

"We have come from the Varia with a message for Mr. Lambradi," you said smiling again. The man smirked noticing your short skirt and pressed a button on the nearby phone. You were all checked for weapons (God knows how Bel got through. He was pretty good at hiding his knives then, you supposed) then led into the house by four more guards. You smiled. It was all pretty predictable here. He could either get super suspicious or become super friendly then turn sinister. Either way, you were ready.

"Ah, the Varia members coming to see me on Christmas. I can imagine that you and the other small minded humans on this planet are celebrating, or at least meant to be celebrating this pitiful holiday?" said a deep voice from the stairs. You looked up to see a man probably in his fifties with a streak of grey in his beard and one in his sleek dark hair; the only signs of ageing you could see. He had a wonderful build of body and very clearly took very good care of himself. That would explain the women you had known him to parade into and out of his mansion. You knew him well. You knew that name rang a rather loud bell. Michaelli Lambardi was the scum of the earth that had been your boss when you were a little girl. He greeted you with a huge grin.

"Mickey, baby," you said leaning to the side and tilting your hips in a way you knew would earn you his attention, "I've actually come to give you something in return for that little present you left on our front door." You smirked and he smiled coming right up to you.

"Ah, amore, you brought me a gift? I'm touched. Mario, please dispose of the two gentlemen. (Name), follow me, we must speak about this wonderful moment." You turned back to Belphegor and Fran with a grin then latched onto Michaelli's arm. He led you down several hallways and into his study where he offered you a seat and wine. You sat down but declined the wine.

"Where is Carlotta?" you asked crossing your legs to show off a little more skin. Carlotta was the one woman who never left Michaelli's side. It was surprising that she should be missing. Now that you remembered who you were dealing with, your job was just that much easier.

"Digging your grave," he said with a sinister smile, "she wanted to make sure it was just right for you bella," he added with a wink at you.

"I saw your father's grave, you know. I always pay my respects to those that have left us. It could use some work bambina. I was going to have it covered properly, but imagine my surprise at finding out that you, skilled assassin that you are, are working for the Varia scum!" he said with a mock gasp then he tisked. You smiled up at him and walked up to him to take the wine glass from his hands. You set it down and leaned against him then whispered in his ear.

"I know I've been bad, but you've been much worse, no? And that, Michaelli, is why I have to kill you now," you said. He chuckled and pulled away from you.

"You? Kill me? (Name), you couldn't wound me in a fight let alone kill me," he said with mocking in his voice. Of course he would have to pay for everything he had done. Xanxus' orders had been very clear and you had never once failed in a mission unless you had planned to do that beforehand. Any job you were given ultimately got finished. You walked up to Michaelli and sat in his lap wrapping your arms around him. He watched you saying nothing.

"Bambina, you are playing with fire," he said with another wicked grin. His hand slid under your skirt and it took all your self control not to make him sorry he ever met you... yet. It was men like these that made the world a worse place. He was the reason you were what you were and in a way you were grateful. He had given you the basic training for your assassination skills. It was thanks to him that you could get revenge for your father's death tonight.

"Fire can't burn me," you said and kissed his lips slipping the very carefully wrapped poison into his slipping it open. You smiled as you pulled away and his eyes widened. You smirked and pressed his lips together with your fingers as the solid began to dissolve in his mouth. He pushed you off of him and you laughed.

"Michaelli, didn't you know how dangerous I could be without having to fight? You didn't do your homework very well, did you? That will kill you in about five minutes. I would give you the antidote, but I didn't bring it with me. This is what you made me and today, I return the favour. Tell my papa I said hello, hmm?" you said turning away from the choking man behind his desk. You turned to look at him as he began foaming at the mouth and reaching for you.

"Oh, and amore, I have a message for you from my boss. He says Merry Christmas," you said, smiled and left the office wiping your lips. If you had known it would be this easy, you would have done that a long time ago. Carlotta would have to make adjustments to that grave.

At the bottom of the stairs, you met Belphegor and Fran standing amidst several dead bodies. They always went all out. You smirked and stepped past them to head out with the two following you. Mission accomplished. It was too easy, but then again, Michaelli didn't know that you had joined the Mafia world and earned your name as a silent killer. Your stealth coupled with your ability to create poisons was unmatched thus far and made you a priceless gem for whichever Mafia family you were allied to. Well, at least now you could get back to your holiday without any hassles... or so you thought.

"What do you want Ripper?" you asked turning to the closet of your darkened room beside which your switch lay. You flipped it and found him standing there regarding you. Bel was getting better at his stealth, you had to admit, but not good enough to fool you. Second to Fran, you could be the perfect Mist guardian, but being the Cloud Guardian suited you just fine. You couldn't see his eyes, as usual, but he wasn't laughing. You wondered what had gotten into him. Earlier he had seemed to be in a good mood.

"Did you have to kiss him princessa?" You flinched. He had heard Squalo repeating the bits about your report he didn't particularly like. Heck, the whole of Italy knew it now! You sighed and pulled off your coat putting it away.

"I did what I had to. You have a problem with the way I work?" you asked daring him to say something derogatory to you.

"Did you have to kiss him?" he asked again. You heard his footsteps behind you and paused. What was bothering him? Suddenly, two warm hands were on your stomach, two strong arms had wrapped around your waist and warm breath was tickling your neck. You didn't want it to bother you but it did. You couldn't stand Belphegor at times, but he was not half bad in the looks department as far as you were concerned.

"Yes," you breathed pulling his arms from around you as you picked out your pyjamas, "I had to kiss him. Now, will you please excuse me, I want to go to sleep..." He grabbed your arm cutting you off. You looked back and found a smile on his face.

"Let go of me Bel or I swear I will kick your mph!" Before you could finish, he had kissed you. His arms went around you again and you clung to him afraid to fall. You couldn't hold yourself up any more. That kiss... you had been kissed before, but never like this.

"Principessa," he murmured huskily into your ear, "I don't want to share you." You shivered hearing that version of his voice and deciding you rather liked it. You smiled slyly and pressed him closer.

"And what if I don't agree? What I do is what I do and it's none of your busine..." he cut you off with another lingering kiss. You couldn't help the moan that escaped you then. Then pulled your head back by your hair so he could look right at you

"The prince has chosen you. I won't share you," he said and pressed a kiss to your neck sucking on your tender skin there, "Princessa, you are mine. I'll kill anyone who tries to take you from me, do you understand?" he asked. You couldn't believe he could be so possessive... and so positively wicked! Smirking, you snaked your arms around his neck and he loosened his grip on your hair.

"I understand, but you still have to beat me at chess," you said and turned away from him. You heard him laugh behind you before turning to leave himself. That laugh still annoyed you to no end. That smug smirk still made you want to smack him into kingdom come. The fact that he kept his eyes shielded from the world behind his golden curls still bothered you. You did have to admit though, that irritating as he was, Belphegor made for an amazing Christmas present.


	4. Gokudera

**There is a good bit of OOCness in this chapter. Apparently I don't know Gokudera that well, but edits have been made to capacity, so please bear with me. It's not entirely a Christmas story, but it does revolve around the holiday, so it should fit in just right. Don't forget to let me know how this is going and look out for the next story tomorrow!**

**DISCALIMER: I do not own KHR or any of the Characters in this fan fiction story. I am only responsible for the plot and nothing else.**

It was almost Christmas and all of Nami-chuu was out to celebrate. The Disciplinary committee had held a meeting with the party's organising committee, of which you were a member, and decided to hold an end-of-term almost Christmas party. It was as close to a school festival as you were ever going to get. It had never happened before and you were desperate for one last chance to be as wild and free as you wanted to be through the term. It was your very last memory in the school and you wanted it to sparkle.

You had handed out the flyers and put up the posters (all as per Hibari's pre-approved approval requirements) and the only thing you needed now was a date. That shouldn't have been too hard. You were wrong as usual.

Your crush was nowhere to be seen. Not surprising since for him, school was a waste of time anyway. He was super-smart and you always managed to come in second no matter what you did. You only ever saw him out of school either arguing with Yamamoto Takeshi, the captain of the Baseball team or walking with No-Good-Tsuna. Admittedly Tsuna was really no good at much, but he was kinda cute.

Ever since he had drawn attention to himself with the whole 'confession incident,' he had been a popular topic amongst the girls. Not that anyone would be brave enough to confess to actually liking him. He obviously didn't hold a candle to Gokudera. You did qualify as a fan girl, you supposed, but you weren't really his type. There were a ton of girls a lot prettier than you, not that you were bitter.

Besides, you didn't like attention. All that would come hand in hand with Gokudera Hayato. Still, you couldn't get over how the one time you had seen him properly angry (he always seemed to be angry), he had flown into a lecture all in Italian. You understood a little bit and most of it was insults and curses but you were hooked. You sighed and he walked off three minutes later not even bothering to notice you were in the room.

"Pathetic," you thought as you hung up the last poster in the staff lounge. You turned to leave the room and found him shutting the door quietly and safely behind him. He leaned against it and moved over to the wall. He was clearly hiding from someone...

"Um, hello," you said clutching your school bag for dear life. You needed some form of courage and strangling your bag strap seemed like the best way to start. He only just noticed you in the room, if the surprise clearly etched on his face was any indicator. He blinked at you blankly. He clearly hadn't been expecting to find anyone there.

"Are you hiding from someone?" you asked peering through the glass out into the hallway. He looked away and stood up straight. You smiled. You knew that stance. Your little sister had decided to give you a crash course on 'being a bad boy.' She had nothing to do that evening and despite the mounds of homework you had yet to do, you had listened if only to get her out of her room. This stance was meant to protect some sort of pride. He was embarrassed that he had been caught and this was his defence.

He wasn't answering. Why wasn't he answering? And cue the paranoia... did you say something wrong? Oh no, this would be a disaster! Your crush was going to hate you forever and then you would be scarred for life! Then where would you be in ten years? With no husband and no kids and there would be seven cats in that little house you called home with no special job and then you would die lonely and...

"You're that girl from my Chemistry class... (Name), right?" he asked. You blinked. He was talking to you. It was a wonder he even remembered your name. You were practically invisible, but you could swear he had looked impressed with your new theory on atoms and their true valency. Of course being geeky wasn't all that important socially, but this was the guy who never failed a single class despite his refusal to study so you supposed it didn't matter to him whether you were a geek or not.

"Uh, yeah I am," you replied shuffling your feet.

"So you're the one who hung up the posters advertising the Christmas party. I wanted to talk to you," he said leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed. According to your genius little sister, bad boys did that right before they said something important or funny. You held your hands in front of you ready for either one.

"I want to know every detail of the security of the area. I believe you have that information at least?" he said very importantly. You narrowed your eyes quizzically. Security detail? You were planning a Middle-School party, not a presidential inauguration.

"Um, well, I think the Disciplinary Committee has that sorted," you said uncertain if that was what he meant. He tisked and seemed lost in thought. "Is that what you meant?"

"I suppose you can't afford anything else," he said and peeped through the door into the hall.

"Are you coming?" you asked trying to draw his attention again.

"Coming?" he asked.

"For the dance. Are you going to come?" you asked again. He looked out into the hallway again.

"I have to be there but..." he broke off and his face lit up. Apparently he had an idea up his sleeve. You would know that look anywhere with or without the 'bad boys guide'.

"Will you go with me?" he asked suddenly. That took the breath right out of you. You had imagined something a little more... romantic? You had to wonder at his sudden change of heart though. In grade school, you had been asked out before and that hadn't worked out so well.

"What's the catch," you asked crossing your arms as your initial nervousness simmered down to nothing. Your mind was suddenly running a mile a minute and you were thinking a little clearer now. There had to be something to this impromptu offer.

"Look, I need to go to this thing, but I need someone to go with that's not... like them." He gestured to the door with his thumb. "How about we make a deal?" he asked with a smile.

"What kind of a deal?" you wondered. What could he give you, besides a serious image boost and a number of requests from guys. You had done a study on it. If the most popular guy in school went out with you, you instantly became popular. Of course that in itself was a marvellous reason, but you didn't quite want that.

"I need cover so I need a date for the party since I have to be there," he said.

"So we've covered your advantage, and what do I get in this little deal of ours?" you asked hands on hips. Really, this was way more casual than you imagined this conversation ever being.

"Anything you want," he said peering out into the halls again. Really, could it be that easy?

"Anything?" you asked again sceptically. What did that mean?

"Yes, anything within reason."

"Okay, so if I asked you for a date..."

"Done." He hadn't even blinked! You grinned. This was just too easy! Still, what could you request from a very hot Italian transfer student? You would figure that out later.

"Just so you know though, I'm not requesting the date. I'll think about what I want from you." He nodded and for the first time in your life, he looked right at you and smiled. Of course your blush returned with a vengeance. Luckily, he didn't see it, being too pre-occupied with leaving the room. Then he changed his mind and took you by the hand and dragged you out into the halls.

You were met with several scathing looks and sneers. Apparently, you had broken the one sacred rule of Gokudera Hayato's fandom: he was never to be had by any one girl. You smiled mischievously and tried to keep in step with him tightening your grip just a little bit. It was for the greater good and you still had your request to make. This was going to be the best deal you had ever made in your life.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

You had two days of school left and you were just getting your books from your locker when you heard a bit of commotion from your right. You turned to see what was happening and nearly gawked.

Gokudera was walking right up to you, his fan girls not far behind although they were following from a 'discreet' (more like respectful) distance. You looked from him to them confused, but when he met your gaze, he held it. Without a pause or warning beyond an urgently whispered "play along!", he grabbed you and held you flush against him as he kissed you. He smiled down at your surprise and you quickly figured your face into a smile. Of course all the girls were glaring daggers at you now.

You had to have seen that one coming and you could bet anything he had too. Great, now you were the one needing protection. You would both have to review the terms of this little agreement if you were going to get out of Middle School alive. You still had High School and College to go through. It counted for a lot.

"Ready to go?" he asked loud enough for the others to hear. You didn't quite trust yourself to speak so you simply nodded and grinned. He then proceeded to drag you through the halls to one of the junior classrooms which had been vacated for the day. You sighed when you were inside.

"Geez, you could have given me some warning," you said clutching your chest and peering out into the hall. You hadn't been followed.

"Well, it was an emergency, but you did it right," he said crossing his arms and looking at you in a strange way. Your sister hadn't described that one.

"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" Did you have something in your hair?

"Nothing. Maybe we should walk home together from now on to avoid something like this happening again?" he asked rubbing his neck awkwardly. You couldn't have put it better yourself.

"I do need protection from those girls you just showed me off to, so let me get my books from my locker and we can be off in a moment. He took you to your locker and you left shortly afterwards, scathing looks following you down the halls. You were never going to get used to that and really you didn't have to for much longer, you thought with a grin.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The night of the party was a hit. It turns out that Gokudera only had to go for Tsuna's sake. Something about protecting him. You wondered what he could possibly need protection from, but that was really none of your business.

At the end of the night, however, Gokudera did play the gentleman and escorted you home. It had been a wonderful night despite the fact that every time Gokudera disappeared one or two girls with tight smiles and condescending attitudes would hover around you appearing interested. They probably only wanted introductions. You giggled at the thought and he turned to you curious.

"What is it?" he asked. It was amazing how easy the atmosphere between you tow had become.

"Oh nothing," you said smiling at him, "I just thought about how much I've ticked off a good percentage of the female population of Nami-chuu..." He chuckled and leaned back in his seat.

"I didn't know you had it in you," he said with a smirk. The rest of the ride was quiet. It did take only ten minutes to get to your place by car. You got out and he followed you. You had mentioned that your parents would be out so it was safe.

He walked you to your door anyway but just as you turned to tell him goodbye and thank him for the nice evening, he leaned in and brushed his lips against yours. You blushed furiously and met his gaze. He said goodnight then and left you there bewildered until the cold reminded you that you needed to get inside. What had just happened?

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Christmas came along and you went to the mall for a shopping spree. Your dad, feeling generous, had handed you a bunch of crisp clean bills so you could get whatever you wanted. That would be a treat! You walked into the clothing store and picked out a jacket you had always wanted.

"That looks good on you," came a comment from behind. You assumed it was the sales clerk giving his opinion even though that voice did sound a little familiar.

You turned to see who it was and met the calm green gaze of Gokudera Hayato. You hadn't seen him for almost a whole month! The disappointment had passed, but a little of that did seep in just then. You had to admit that he looked pretty good in a suit. You hadn't even known he owned one! He still did have the rings on his fingers. At least that hadn't changed. He smirked and stepped towards you. Your blush grew and you wondered what he was up to. You turned back to the mirror and pretended to adjust the coat.

"I distinctly remember making a deal with someone about a month ago where she could ask for anything she wanted if she were my date for a night," he said in a low voice standing next to you. You tucked your hair behind your ears and smiled at his reflection.

"A whole month? Hmm... was she that important to you then or does your conscience just take this long to catch up with you?" you asked raising an eyebrow and crossing your arms. He smirked at your reflection.

"I admit I did think of going about it sooner, but things got... crazy right after school. I'm sorry (Name)," he said looking a little uneasily at your reflection. You smiled and turned to look at him as you took off the jacket.

"So, what brings you back?" you asked putting the jacket aside so you could face him ready for the lecture of a lifetime. His answer took the wind right out of your sails.

"You," he said without blinking. Your eyebrows shot up as his arm snaked around your waist and then he was looking down at you. Right there, in the middle of the store and in front of one or two too-nosy-for-their-own-good females, Gokudera Hayato kissed you. Of course the shop owner protested and shooed you both from there and complained about you disturbing the customers. You grinned with a blush and Gokudera, completely ignoring the irritated man, took your hand and led you away from the store.

You didn't know where he was taking you, but you didn't care. He had mentioned something about a day together at some point as he dragged you along, but you didn't quite catch what he said nor were you bothered about it. His look as he answered your last question played in your mind over and over.

That was Gokudera Hayato at his best. You weren't officially a couple and those kisses might have been flukes, but there was no denying what you felt. It might be for just a day, but you would be damned if you cared a mite about that. What mattered was that he had kissed you in a way that said that he wanted to keep being with you. You hoped that was the case because if it was, you would have just gotten the very best Christmas present money couldn't buy!


	5. Byakuran

**I have taken on a challenge with this one. I love this character so much (you did this to me Akira Amano!) but I'm not too sure if I did him justice. This is fair warning in advance. Despite edits, there may be some OOCness. This is the fourth day of Christmas so eight more to go! I'm working on most if not all your suggestions, but please bear with me. Next story up tomorrow! Don't forget to review, please? Thank you!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR. I am only responsible for the plot and the OC and his famiglia.**

You walked out of the chemist with your gel in hand. Honestly, you weren't too sure you would get home safe. Everything was a risk, right? That's what Cipher, your boyfriend told you. He always did right before the shouting and the beating. The bruise you had on your cheek was barely a week old and the pain was at least gone but he had gone into a rage last night and... let's just say you weren't feeling too well. That was the story you told everyone. Maybe if you said it enough, you would start to believe it yourself.

You needed some groceries before you headed back to the little apartment you shared with your brutal partner. You never looked forward to that, but he was all you had. It hurt to think how far you had fallen, but what could you do? It was either that or starve on the cold unforgiving streets. You weren't particularly prepared for that. Where would you begin? How could you begin? All the money you got was from Cipher's dodgy businesses or the very little you got from sweeping and cleaning every now and again.

You didn't talk to anyone. You wouldn't dare. If Cipher ever found out that you had been talking about him and what he does to you, he would throw you out on your face. Even the odd jobs you got every now and again, although some you didn't fully trust, you got because of Cipher. It wasn't by choice. If you had a choice, you would leave. You couldn't fight back and you couldn't leave. It was depressing to think about. You had better get your groceries and go get supper ready or you would be in trouble.

You headed for the exit when you were done and bumped into someone. Keeping your head down, you noticed expensive black Italian leather shoes and crisp clean white pants. A white fur coat surrounded those legs. It was a rich man, no doubt coming to do his Christmas shopping. You never did Christmas shopping. The last Christmas you ever had was probably when you were six or seven so you didn't really remember it that well besides the fact that your parents were still alive. They died the next year and so began your problems which had only grown bigger with time.

"I'm sorry," you murmured. The man stopped to look at you and then he spoke.

"Don't worry about it, are you alright?" he said in a sing-song voice, almost as if treating you like a child. You were no child and you had no interest in this man. You could simply walk away. You didn't need to mix yourself in with some stranger no matter how rich or caring he was. Cipher would kill you if he found out. You weren't sure what demon made you look up, but when you did, you almost took a step back in surprise.

The kindest violet gaze made your (e/c) one and you swallowed. There was a purple tattoo below his left eye. The white hair above those eyes matched the rest of the man's clothes. He was smiling at you waiting for you to answer, but you noticed his smile fall and he reached for your face.

"Such a pretty face with so many scars. Why is that, hmm?" he asked. On reflex, you ducked out of his way, bowed your head and walked right by him without answering.

When you had gone a few blocks down from the supermarket, you took a couple of wrong turns in case he followed you. Nobody should show interest in you. You were supposed to remain inconspicuous. Cipher would kill you if he found out and Cipher always had a way of finding out these things. Why did you look up at him? You looked back and realised you weren't being followed.

With a relieved sigh, you took three more streets just in case and headed home by a different route. By that time, Cipher had been home for twenty minutes and you weren't there.

"You stupid woman, I ask only one thing of you and that's that you be here when I get home, but no! You have to go out and be with your men! You damned cheap..."

"Cipher please... I was just going out for some groceries. I... I was coming home to make you your favourite pasta." you said holding up the grocery bag and hoping against all hope that he didn't hit you. You were a little used to it now, but you didn't know when he would decide to get properly brutal and lately, he had been doing more damage to you.

"Get out of my sight," he growled. You weren't going to be told twice. You went into the kitchen, took off your coat, put on your apron and began on supper. He was in a better mood than usual tonight. At least if he did beat you, you could expect it not to be as bad as yesterday. If you loved Cipher as much as you had when you ran away together (very stupid idea by the way) you would probably have lost it.

You finished up on supper and laid it before him. He ate in silence and didn't bother to comment on your food. That meant he liked it. You gathered everything up and went to the kitchen to do the dishes. Cipher came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist. You sighed. He was in one of his moods again. He kissed your neck and squeezed your waist.

"Do that later," he said. That wasn't a request. If you didn't comply, bad things would happen. You had challenged that 'or else' and you didn't like the outcome. It was just a night like any other. It would be over soon. It always was. You could take care of any extra bruises in the morning.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

It was Christmas eve and you wanted to spend some time alone in peace. You didn't like staying in the house. It didn't have very good memories and sometimes you felt the walls shrinking in. Perhaps a trip to the local library would clear your mind a little. Cipher wouldn't be back tonight. He had said so. You didn't mind. It meant you could get rid of a few bruises while he was gone. You needed to rest, but fighting back meant death or worse. You sighed pushing the thought away. Cipher wasn't there now so you didn't have to think about him even though he still did have his eyes and ears everywhere.

You went into the library and sat at one of the tables further from everyone. It was a good thing the library was still open on Christmas eve. It gave you some sort of reprieve and as little feel of the season's joy as you would ever get. It had become tradition from almost five years ago to come to the library, maybe borrow a book or two and settle down with them in your apartment when Cipher was away.

You flipped open your book and began to read. Partway into your interesting story, someone came and sat at your table directly opposite you. You ignored them and carried on reading. You didn't need any attention from anyone. The further you stayed from anyone, the less chance there was of them getting hurt.

"I see you like to read too?" said an all too familiar voice. Looking up you saw the same man from yesterday looking at you curiously, his cheek resting on his hand with an open book in front of him. You had to wonder what was wrong with him, Why wouldn't he leave you alone? Was he following you? Did he know where you lived? Oh no, if that was the case, then Cipher's goon probably knew too! This was bad. You started to panic. What did he want with you? Was he one of Cipher's enemies? He had warned you to stay hidden...

"What's wrong? Are you sick?" he asked looking genuinely concerned about you. You opened and closed your mouth wondering what to say. He looked at you laying his hand down on the table next to yours giving you an encouraging smile. You snatched yours away, got up and rushed to the door. How was this happening? He couldn't know you. It was impossible. You had done this a million times before...

A hand stopped your escape. You looked up into his deep violet eyes again and shook with fear. This was it. You were going to go down for whatever miscalculation you had made, You wouldn't even have lived a very good life. Maybe death wasn't so bad. Maybe then you could get away from Cipher and his dark world. Still, it would be pretty pitiful dying at the hands of some gang leader or Mafia boss.

Yes, you knew the Mafia. Cipher was one of those, but a much lower ranked member. You had known for a while now, but even with that low a rank, he was still pretty powerful, especially in this town. That was three quarters of the reason nobody bothered you and you didn't bother them. Now this man had insisted on sticking around.

"Let me go," you said looking around you expecting Cipher's men to come out at any moment. Really this shouldn't happen. It looked like you would have to cut library time as well. This man was clearly very rich and powerful so what did he want with you?

"No, you're coming with me." Two men appeared seemingly out of nowhere and stood at your sides. A sleek white limo stopped on the curb beside you and one of the men opened the door. You panicked immediately trying to free yourself. Cipher would get you for this for sure. There was no getting out of this one now. Why had you gone to the library at all?

"You don't know what you're getting into. Please just let me go and get out of here. I... I can't be seen with you. Please just let me go."

"I can't do that (Name)-chan," he said catching you off-guard, "I'll explain everything if you get into the car and come with me now." Before you could think about it, the two men had carried you effortlessly into the limousine and then the man had followed and the car had driven off. No doubt Cipher knew what had just happened by now. He would have your head! How were you going to survive at home now?

"What do you want with me?" you asked holding your coat closed and huddling as close into yourself as you could. You had never experienced such luxury and the men beside you were intimidating. What did they want with little insignificant you?

"I wanted to help you get away. That is what you wanted, isn't it (Name)-chan?" he said. Clearly Japanese. You were native to Japan until you moved to Italy with Cipher. Your parents had died and your relatives had disowned you. Now you had no home to speak of thanks to this man and he was helping you get away? To where? With him; a stranger you had only met twice before? What did he want from you?

"How do you know my name?" you asked looking down.

"I had you followed. I found out all about you (Name)-chan. I know all about _**him**_." He said that rather vehemently. Your eyes shot up to meet his and he smiled.

"Giacomo Emilio Bacardi, otherwise known as Cipher. That is his name, isn't it?" he asked pouring himself a glass of wine from an inbuilt refrigerator. You didn't reply. Maybe you could explain this properly and still go home. If you said nothing, you could probably buy yourself a reprieve.

"I know what you're thinking. I really do want to help you (Name)-chan. That man isn't very good for you if he keeps giving you so many scars," he said gesturing to your hands and face. He reached for your chin and raised it.

"You have to trust me (Name)-chan. I'll take you away from him if you'll let me." A tear slipped free from your eyes. Why was he doing this? You had to be suspicious. Nothing in this life came without a price.

"Why?" you whispered, the tears falling freely now. He chuckled and leaned back on his seat regarding you.

"For two reasons. First, you see, you are a very pretty girl and I hate to see beautiful things spoiled. I like them to remain pretty, you see, and that won't happen if you stay here. The second reason is a bit of a secret, but I can say that you will never see Cipher again. Isn't that good news?" he asked with a blissful smile. Not see Cipher... what did he mean? What had he done?

"Don't look at me like that. It had to be done. He was in the way of something very important and he had to go. I couldn't just leave you in that horrible place, now could I? You would be all alone and that wouldn't be very nice of me," he said. You relaxed a very little bit and now it was your turn to regard him. This handsome rich man was offering you a better life just like that? No, there had to be something he wanted in return.

"What do you want from me?" you asked again.

"(Name)-chan, I don't want anything from you. I protect what I value and I will protect you now." Here he gave you a meaningful look. He was still smiling, but there was no doubt that he was very serious. Now you were curious, having forgotten your fear.

"Who are you?" you asked. He laughed then and set down his empty glass.

"Oh, that's right, I didn't introduce myself, how rude of me! Zakuro, Kikyo, you should have reminded me!" he said to the guards. "My name is Byakuran. I am of the Gesso famiglia. I believe you are familiar with it?" he asked. Your eyes widened. You had heard one or two things, but keeping your mouth shut had been the best strategy for keeping you alive. As far as you knew, they were a pretty powerful family in these parts.

"Yo... you're Mafia?" you asked shocked. Byakuran leaned forward then and took your hand in his.

"Yes, (Name)-chan, but really, you shouldn't be afraid of me. I'll take care of you now, hmm? Isn't that wonderful?" he asked. You nodded supposing you really didn't have a choice and the idea of a good life was not so bad. That was the day you became one of them and you would never look back. There was nothing to look back to.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

"Ah, (Name)-chan, what are you making today?" came Byakuran's voice from behind you. You lifted up your spoon and held it up for him to taste. He always appreciated your meals and he was always home for supper. It had been about two years since he had found you and true to his word, he had taken care of you. Not once had he raised a hand against you. A year ago, you had fallen in love with him and your new life was going fine. You had spent that Christmas rediscovering what it was like to have family and love surround you.

Of course, Cipher's family had tried to get at him for killing one of their own, but as it turned out, Byakuran was pretty powerful. They had never bothered you again. You had been given a home, a family and friends. It was more than you could ask for.

"That tastes wonderful," he said kissing your neck gently. You didn't mind his kisses. He was always so gentle with you. He had flown into a rage (the scary twisted kind where he spoke a serious threat with a smile on his face) when you had told him what Cipher had been doing to you and you were sure that if he could, he would have raised Cipher from the dead and killed him all over again. He had held you close that night and promised for the millionth time to make sure you never went through that again.

"So, I was thinking that for Christmas I could take you with me to Japan. There's a few things to take care of, but I don't want to be too far away from you again. So, what do you say, (Name)-chan?" he asked kissing your cheek. You sighed and put your hands on his. He had been away for the last month and had only come back last week.

"I would love that," you said turning to face him. There were still two days to Christmas and you didn't know what he would get you, but that was always part of the fun, he would say. You learned to like surprises and the surprise trip was nice enough, but you knew it was just the beginning. You kissed him and he hugged you.

"Merry Christmas," you sighed. He pulled away then, gently pecked your lips and tapped your nose as he walked away. You giggled (yes, actually giggled) at that. He loved tapping your nose knowing he would get that reaction from you.

"Merry Christmas (Name)-chan," he replied and you smiled. It truly was a merry Christmas.


	6. Reborn

**This one was inspired. I really tried hard with it so please bear with me. I don't really know Reborn's Character so much, so I'll go with what I assume it is. On top of which it is about four o'clock in the morning and my creativity had hit a serious spike so I took the opportunity, but my body is crying for sleep... Still, it's good enough and I'll make any edits I can when I'm fully awake. Don't forget to let me know what you think?**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR nor do I claim any rights to it or any of the characters involved in this fan fiction story. I own the plot and nothing else.**

You looked at him from across the room and smiled over your glass of Chardonnay. You set down your glass, crossed your legs in a seductive fashion and leaned back regarding the tall man in the black suit and fedora.

The best hit man in the world – Reborn.

His constant success was well known especially in assassination. He was unmatched when it came to strength, skill or tactic. There was nobody in the world who could really match him head on... except maybe the former Arcobaleno. Their curse had been broken and they had been allowed to take on their true forms.

He looked better that way. As a baby, he was cute and it was very hard to take him seriously. He had still been insanely powerful even in the body of an infant, but now, it was easier to pay attention to him... when he wanted attention.

In any case, he had yours whether he wanted it or not. You were the second best hit man the Mafia ad ever known after all. You were known the world over, but not as well as Reborn. He was always better. He had thwarted you every time you fought, and your battles had not been few. Sipping your drink again, you regarded him.

He was tall. He intimidated a good number of 'fearless' men with his height alone. You weren't so gifted with height, but you weren't short either. Your reputation was your wow factor. That was what intimidated them the most.

He was handsome. You had heard tell that he had left a string of broken hearts in his wake. Looking at him now, you didn't doubt it. Reborn was not a man to be taken lightly. He had never failed in a conquest save for one. He did what he had to do and that was the end of it. For him, it was always just another life experience. The day he really gave himself to someone, you were sure it would rain in buckets. Still, knowing how dangerous he was to the vulnerable female heart, women came and went into and out of his life in their dozens like an endless parade of blind mindless fools. You often scoffed at them as the left with tears in their eyes. Honestly, what else had they expected?

You weren't so bad in the looks department either. It was a part of who you were and you loved taking care of your body. In any case, it won you favours you needed in your line of work. If you played your cards right, you could get all the information you needed without having to lift a finger. You were no loose woman, oh no. You had very high moral standards... Which is why you were the one woman Reborn couldn't have.

He had tried once and you had refused him. He had never tried again, but you had fascinated him enough for him to let you in his 'inner circle' of close friends. You preferred it that way. You could learn all you needed from him and still keep that certain something between you. The way you spent time together, although ninety percent of it was spent on idle chatter, one would deduce (quite wrongly) that you were an item.

Often you had heard the vicious rumours and idle gossip and smiled at the simple minds of those gossips. You would neither deny nor agree to any of the accusations. Let them talk. There was nothing going on between you two and that was that.

He looked up and met your gaze from across the room. You lifted your glass ever so slightly and he touched his hat in a subtle motion acknowledging you. That was the way it began at most functions. One of you would notice the other, then catching each other's attention, you would each give the other a sign that you had acknowledged each other's presence. Then as the evening dragged on, you would somehow end up together and talking about the latest in the Mafia world or about his students or something akin to that.

Apparently, his last student was the Vongola Decimo. That was a very important mission if ever there was one. The Vongola was one of the oldest families in the Mafia. To have to train the heir of such a family was an honour. You didn't do training however. You didn't like the incompetent new generation of runts that called themselves Mafia. Take, for instance, the leader of that group within the Vongola, Varia. Xanxus was quick-tempered and proud.

He was bossy, too loud and changed moods more than you did when you were hormonal. He had done well in trying to intimidate you, but he was still just a child and couldn't even give you a scratch. He was good, but not that good. You had taught him a lesson he would never forget on your first and last meeting and that was that.

The leader of the Cavallone family, Dino Cavallone, was pretty promising, but he was utterly useless unless him men were around him. That made him weak and vulnerable. What a joke! You had known Cavallone's old man and to say the least, Dino was a far cry from that old geezer. He was skilled. Dino had promise, but that was his one major flaw... unless he intended for the enemy to die of laughter.

You weren't even going to begin talking about the Vongola's allied family, the Shimon. They were powerful, yes. That much was certain and with a little polishing, you were sure they could be perfect. Their boss, however, was a perfect reflection of Tsuna from the Vongola. Granted Tsuna had come a long way from the tutoring (or was that torturing?) skills of Reborn, but he still had a ways to go before he lived up to the Vongola name. You had to hand it to them though. They tried. If Vongola the Ninth trusted him, why should you be any different?

"You look worried, (Name), are you alright?" came a familiar voice from beside you. You had been so caught up in your thoughts that you hadn't noticed Reborn come over to you. He didn't usually do this. You would usually make your rounds of the room then end up together somewhere in the middle. Today, he came straight to you. That was awkward.

"I'm just thinking about the Mafia leaders we are handing over to. Some of them are so incompetent and foolish, it's hard to believe they can or even should run an entire famiglia... but I suppose they could do it with a little -ahem- training..." you said trailing off as you lifted your glass to your lips for the last time to drain its contents. He chuckled and you smiled.

"You know me well. How is your mother by the way? I wanted to stop by and see her while I'm in town," he said. You smirked. Did he really want to see her? It was Christmas and so she was feeling extra festive and extra feisty. The last time you had taken Reborn to see her, she had told you both, straight out, that she wanted grandchildren from the both of you, whether or not you got married. Her excuse was that she was getting old and she didn't want to die before seeing her grandchildren. He had taken it pretty well, and you had a feeling they actually formed a bond.

"Mother is fine, but you don't need to come and see her unless you want to sit through another serious lecture about having kids," you said calling for another glass of Chardonnay. He smirked and tipped his hat over his eyes.

"That's not such a bad idea you know," he said suddenly. You turned to him interested in the turn of the conversation.

"What isn't such a bad idea?" you asked turning to him fully.

"Having children. Imagine the things we could teach them. The strongest hit man pair in the underworld would have unstoppable offspring..." he said trailing off. You raised an eyebrow and scoffed.

"And what makes you think I would make such an amazing mother?" you asked.

"I don't know. Your mother has done such a good job so far, I have a feeling she'd thrash you if you were anything less to her precious grandchildren." You sighed. She probably would too. Your mother was a force of nature when she didn't have her way. Since when did Reborn start thinking like this? Of course he was joking, but now he had put those thoughts in your head and they weren't leaving. Really, what would it be like having his kids?

"Well, regardless, I miss the old bird. I want to see her again and I will with or without your permission. You know how much she likes me," he said and leaned back with a smirk. No matter what you said, he would show up at her doorstep so you might as well comply.

"When do you want to go?" you asked knowing you were defeated. He smiled and leaned back. At least you could enjoy the party without worrying about him surprising you some random time. You could deal with your mother when it came to that.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Alright, so ou couldn't deal with your mother. You had showed up with her favourite Christmas cake with just the right amount of chocolate and cream. It was her favourite desert in the whole world. Reborn had showed up with you. She had been ecstatic! But immediately you laid down the cake, she smacked your hand and scolded you for not having a ring on your finger yet. Reborn smiled at you and you rolled your eyes explaining to your mother for the millionth time that you were just friends.

"Just friends is fine. I just want grandchildren. Are you pregnant?"

"Mama!" you exclaimed not believing she had just asked you that. What was wrong with her? Honestly! And in front of Reborn too!

"Don't you 'mama' me bambina. I have been on this earth for long enough. Now I want grandchildren. Do you know what it's like having to watch other women with their grandchildren while my daughter stays single and refuses to get even one child? That's all I'm asking. And if you have a man like this one by your side, I wouldn't really say no, no?" she said nudging Reborn.

You covered your face with your hand and looked down.

There was no getting through that in one piece. That was for certain. You didn't reply to that. How would you even begin? It wasn't worth the time of the effort. She was stubborn. What she wanted was what she wanted and that was that. Your papa, God rest his soul, had said the same of her and you had seen it for yourself. She wanted grandchildren and she wanted them now. It didn't help at all that all your cousins, even the ones younger than you (granted only by two or so years) had children. You mother was the only one without and you were an only child.

"You know I tried to tell her yesterday, but she wouldn't listen to me," said Reborn wrapping an arm around your shoulders. You looked up at him and he winked at you with a smug smile. What was he up to now? You knew that look. He was definitely up to no good!

"You see cara? What did I tell you? The men are there and they are willing. Now if you would just get off this high horse of yours and get one of them, there's one standing right next to you by the way, I'm sure you could make us all happy!" You sighed.

"Didn't Giacomo come this week? I didn't see any milk in the fridge," you said changing the subject very swiftly. You pulled out of Reborn's embrace sticking your tongue out at him (immature yes, but you loved being the only one able to do that and live to tell the tale) as you went to the counter to set down the plates.

"Alright then, kiss him and if you don't like it, I'll let it go," said your mother sitting at one of the seats watching you.

"Wh... what?" you asked staring at her. That was by far the most outlandish thing you had ever heard! You glanced at Reborn and he wore the same look of shock, though much milder on his face as well.

"You heard me. Reborn, kiss her and tell me the truth. If you don't like it, I'll let you go and never disturb you about it again. If you like it, then I was right," she concluded triumphantly. Dear saints but she could be stubborn! You turned to Reborn facing him straight on. Did you really want to do this? But honestly now, what were the chances that you would get that one magical kiss that would change your entire life? With him? It couldn't be.

You took a step forward and he took one too. Smiling down at you, confident as always, he bent and touched your lips with his. As quickly as it started, it was over. You turned to your mother triumphantly.

"See mama? Nothing. I told you..."

"I see," she said seemingly defeated. You knew her well though. You turned to Reborn who hadn't released your waist to tell him to be careful and to tell him off as quietly as you could for not having heeded your warning... Then you saw the look in his eyes. You had only seen that look once or twice before, but it was never ever directed towards you. Why did he have to look at you like that now and why did it make you feel so many foreign things?

You pulled away from his hold and turned back to slicing the cake. That look haunted you for the rest of the visit. That is, up until your mother went to answer a very important phone call. Knowing your mother, that meant it would take up to half an hour to finish what she was saying. Literally. You weren't her daughter for nothing. You took care of her and that meant paying her bills too so you knew she could really ring up a fortune when she got to talking.

Meanwhile, you decided to take the dishes to the sink to wash up and put them away. Maybe you could make some tea while you were at it. Reborn stood by watching you. You knew he was there, obviously, but he sometimes did that. He watched you from a distance so many times before but this time was different. He had given you that smouldering look after that very brief kiss (you kicked yourself a dozen times over that; when would you ever get the chance to do it again?) and your insides had melted. It would explain why you hands trembled.

It would also explain why, when a moment later he started walking up to you, you almost jumped to see him.

"What are you doing?" you asked blushing when you met that heated gaze in his dark-coloured eyes and feeling yourself melt all over again.

"I'm testing your mother's theory," he said simply.

Without a pause, his hands were cradling your face and his lips were slanting over yours and you were powerless to stop him. You didn't want it to stop. Then his tongue touched your lips and they parted letting him in. He tasted of brandy and male and... chocolate Christmas cake. It was the most wonderful thing in the world. Your head swam, your legs weakened, your heart beat faster threatening to break every one of your ribs.

Then you moaned in his mouth as his hand made its way down your side to your waist. You couldn't help it, but you couldn't believe you had done it either. You weren't sure how long you stood there experiencing the expertise that had so many women lining up for him. You understood now what it was they got from him and you were downright jealous.

He shouldn't have any other women. No other woman in the world should feel this way. He finally pulled away looking at your flushed face and smirked.

"I guess this means your mother won," he murmured huskily in your ear before capturing your lobe between his lips. You sighed trying to stifle a moan as your arms settled around him.

"I suppose so," you whispered back with a smirk of your own, "crazy old bird. But you know, now I can't let you go..."

"Mhmm," he said more preoccupied with the skin of your neck. You smiled when he whispered into your neck, "mai, il mio tesoro."* You shivered hearing his fluent Italian in that deep voice of his reverberating against the very sensitive skin of your neck.

No way were you letting him go. Not now you knew how it felt. You were the second best hit man in the world after all. Any woman who wanted him now would have to go through you. Your mother would be more than pleased now. You supposed she would now get the only gift she had ever wanted that Christmas.

*_never, my darling_.


	7. Ryohei

**The next chapter. It's pretty long, but I have done it justice. Lotsa family, lotsa fluff... it's Christmas and I'm in the mood :) Ryohei may be a little out of character, but if you can tweak you imagination just a bit, I think it could work. Besides, love makes people do strange things, right? Enjoy and don't forget to let me know what you think!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR nor do I claim any rights to it. No references in this fan fiction story refer to actual persons living or dead. I own the plot and the OC's and nothing else.**

_**Christmas eve three years ago...**_

You had gone shopping with your eight-year-old niece that evening. She was super excited about the whole Santa Claus thing and giving a little something for the needy. You had planned a musical for Boxing Day and all that was left was getting the props ready. Shopping for about twenty members was no easy fete and you were the only one available on such short notice to do something like this. Of course Kimmi, your niece, had bought right into the idea and begged you to take her, hence the bags and boxes you were carrying to the check out.

"YOSH! IT'S CHRISTMAS AND WE MUST CELEBRATE TO THE EXTREME!"

"PIPE DOWN! THE WHOLE WORLD CAN HEAR YOU!"

The two loud voices came from somewhere in the store. You weren't sure who was shouting or why and frankly, you thought it just plain rude. Honestly, didn't some people have the decency to...

Your thoughts were cut off and the boxes in your arms went flying around you as you bumped into a... wall? Two arms shot out to help you catch your balance and you looked up into gentle grey eyes. The wall smiled at you and handed you your boxes from the ground.

"You should be more careful," said the silver-haired stranger in a gentle husky voice. That was a very nice voice. You of course had this thing about voices, being a music teacher and all. Your friends thought you rather weird since on your list of top ten things for your perfect guy, you included a good voice. You knew what you were saying. Last week's blind date wasn't the best in the world partly because the guy had a particularly annoying voice. Your friends had to agree with you on that one.

Back to the present. Someone was tugging at you. You looked down to see your little niece handing you another box and smiled. You took the box from her then turned back to the rather handsome stranger and apologised. He smiled and took your bags and boxes in his arms.

"I'll help you with these," he said and walked you to the check-out despite your protests. You paid for your things and turned to thank the man again then you turned and walked out of the store.

"Thank you," Kimmi said giving the man one of her candies. She had insisted you get them for her and you suspected that had been two thirds of the reason she had come with you. She knew you were out to spoil her rotten and your sister would grill you about it but there was very little that you could deny the child when she put on her 'lost-puppy' look.

"Taking the little girl's hand, you asked for a shopping cart (why hadn't you done that before?) and walked to your car.

"LET'S GO OR WE'LL BE LATE TO THE EXTREME! OI, OCTOPUS HEAD, YOU'RE SLOWING US DOWN!" you heard from behind you.

"SHUT UP TURF TOP OR I'LL BLOW YOU UP! BESIDES, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DISAPPEARED AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR YOU. IF WE'RE LATE THE TENTH WIILL BE DISAPPOINTED AND I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT!"

Were those rude people still in the store? It was a wonder they hadn't been thrown out yet. Shaking your head. You walked out of the store and into your car. You had a lot of things to plan. It was nice to have had the experience of finding a gentleman in this day and age. Maybe you would meet again? It was a long shot, but who knew?

"Auntie (Name), what are you smiling at?" asked Kimmi looking at you curiously.

"I'm just thinking..." you said and started the car.

"Is it because of that man we saw? He was really nice." You felt a blush coming on. Of course you would deny it with everything you had. You absolutely would not include her in this little thought pattern of yours. She was too young!

"Well, yes, he was really nice, but what makes you think I was thinking about him?" you asked belting her in.

"Mummy tells me that she thinks about daddy when she smiles like that," she said. You cleared your throat and took a deep breath. Okay, note to self: Warn your sister that she had an extremely clever little girl... and maybe bribe her to keep this quiet.

Your sister had been on a mission since your horrible break up almost half a year ago. She had paraded man after man after very 'eligible' man in front of you and promised she wouldn't stop until you found one you liked. If you knew your sister very well, she would no doubt find this guy thanks to her billions of connections and have you going out with him before New Years. You looked down at the innocent little girl beside you. Yes, this would be an interesting Christmas after all.

_**Christmas day three years ago...**_

You were at your sister's house babysitting while your sister and brother-in-law made dinner. You were hopeless in the kitchen and in order not to have you burn down half the kitchen, you were put in charge of the kids. They loved you by the way. Kimmi sat beside you telling you about this girl in her grade who did something or other to her (or was it to her classmates?) and the other two; Haiko and Muni (the twins) wrapped you in endless amounts of tinsel asking you to dance with them.

You were glad they hadn't come with you and Kimmi, mostly because they were too young and their mum wanted them around last night, but also because they would tell your sister about last night anyway. They hadn't quite learned the art of keeping a secret, unlike Kimmi. They were four years old so you expected it.

There was a knock on the door just before you could properly protest to your niece and nephew concerning the ridiculous amounts of glitter they had piled on you. You got up and pointed at the two youngest asking them to behave. Kimmi promised to keep them out of trouble as you got up to go see who it was. Maybe it was another date that your sister had planned "so you wouldn't be alone on Christmas." You hoped not. All you wanted was a nice quiet dinner with the family. You crossed your fingers (old habits die hard) and opened the door.

You paused in near shock.

"Ah, so you do live here," said the man in the doorway. Of course your sister, with her radar hearing, appeared beside you before you could quite get one syllable out. It was the same man from before. Did your sister's connections come through that well? Kimmi had told, hadn't she? But wouldn't she need a little more information?

"Uh, what are you doing here?" you asked eyeing him suspiciously. Maybe he was one of your stalkers? You had had a brush with one or two, which was the reason you had practiced Martial Arts with a lot of gusto. The guy who had tried to rob you the other month hadn't known what hit him. Said guy had been one of your blind dates and your sister had apologised profusely, but it hadn't stopped her at all and that was the reason you were so wary of the men she brought out.

"Oh come on (Name)," said your older sister nudging you, "don't be so rude! Are you going to come in?" Uh-oh. That was her sweet voice. She never used her sweet voice in front of random strangers. You could rest assured this guy was going to have to take you out on a date some time soon. You rolled your eyes and sighed. This was definitely going to be a very long Christmas.

"Well, I just came to give this back," he said holding out your purse, "you dropped it when you bumped into me yesterday". So that was how he found you. You had wondered where you had put it but sometimes you were really forgetful so it wasn't unthinkable.

"Why thank you Mr... um, what was your name again?" asked your sister taking over the conversation. Where was your brother-in-law? He would take your side in a time like this. She had probably known that and threatened him.

"Sasagawa Ryohei," he said with a slight bow.

"Please, won't you come in? We were just about to sit down for dinner." The sweet voice again. You stifled a groan and gave him an apologetic look.

"You don't have to come in. I'm sure you're quite busy..." you started. He smiled then and met your eyes. For the second time in two days, you were frozen in place.

"Actually, I am, but thank you for the invite." He dragged his gaze from yours and turned to your sister.

"Well, maybe you could come to the musical we're holding tomorrow at the theatre in Namimori Kindergarten. (Name), I'm sure you have free tickets, don't you?" your sister gave you a firm smile. That meant you had better do as she says or you would be paying for it for a month or two. You sighed and asked him to wait. You came back with two tickets and handed them over.

"In case you want to bring your girlfriend or something," you said. Your sister of course didn't miss your meaning and jabbed you in the ribs.

"Oh, I don't have one, but I'll see who else I can bring. Well, thank you and I hope everything is still intact," he said gesturing towards the bag in your hands.

"I'm sure it is, thank you," you said and shut the door before your sister got any ideas. Honestly, she could be so persistent!

_**Boxing Day three years ago...**_

He came! He actually came! And he brought a little girl with him too. He had introduced her as his own niece, Misaki, or Misa-chan as she preferred to be called, and Kimmi had taken to her right away. The two girls chatted like old friend leaving you with the very handsome Sasagawa Ryohei. This was going well, until the congratulation started coming in by the dozens.

The musical was over and the kids were running around, parents were talking and people came to congratulate you every five minutes... let's just say that it didn't scream 'perfect date.'

"Ah, (Name)-chan, that was very nice! I hope I'm not interrupting anything..." said the school teacher you had asked for help when she came to congratulate you. She had caught sight of Ryohei and smirked then jabbed you in the side and whispered "good job!"

You rubbed your sore ribs. If one more person played pin-cushion with your ribs, you were pretty sure you were going to scream. She left a moment later to go and talk to one of your friends and then, regarding Ryohei one more time, you took a cautious look around and grabbed his hand dragging him away from the party. You gave Kimmi and Misa-chan, one last look to assure yourself that they were safe. You weren't an irresponsible guardian after all. You had an image to uphold. Besides, Kimmi was practically your partner in crime.

If you were ever going to get three words in, you would have to be alone. The school doors were closed, but luckily, you had been given the key to the staff lounge. It was where you had kept the props and decorations so it was alright. You were just going to borrow the room to hide out in. Ryohei chuckled and looked at you.

"What is it?" you asked reaching for your face. Oh no, you had blotched your make-up hadn't you? You told your sister this was a bad idea and she wouldn't listen. He pointed up. Your eyes met a rather large bough of mistletoe directly above you. Your gaze dropped to meet his and you swallowed. Who would even put that up there? He wasn't actually going to kiss you... was he?

"It's extremely good luck," he said with a smile.

"Oh, we don't... I mean... it would be... really, you don't have to... do..." your babbling stopped as he took a step towards you then another. Before you could blink, he had kissed your lips. It was a small kiss, hardly anything to comment about, but it felt different. He smiled and rubbed your cheek with his thumb.

"I've been waiting for an extremely long time to do that," he said and took your hand. You smiled, a blush filling your cheeks. That evening was the most wonderful of your life. You had gotten the perfect Christmas gift.

When you finally returned after a very interesting conversation, you found Misa-chan and Kimmi standing with another silver-haired man.

"Oi, You stupid Lawn-head. Why did you leave the Tenth's daughter and go off on your own? What kind of guardian are you?"

You had heard that voice before, you were sure.

"OH, COME ON NOW OCTOPUS-HEAD, SHE WAS JUST FINE. DIDN'T YOU HAVE FUN TO THE EXTREME MISA-CHAN." You looked at Ryohei, your eyes widening. Since when had he spoken in such a loud voice? Then you remembered. He was the rude man from the store! Who knew? You giggled and apologised to the man whom Ryohei had introduced as Gokudera Hayato. He didn't seem very interested in introductions and looked to be in a big hurry.

Ryohei apologised and leaned in to kiss you cheek. As he left, he yelled his thanks, thus alerting everyone of your existence and the fact that he was grateful. Your blush deepened and Kimmi pulled on your sleeve again.

"I have to keep this one too, don't I?" she asked. You nodded and chucked her under the chin. The kid deserved a chocolate for being such a good accomplice.

_**Christmas Day this Year...**_

"You look extremely cute today (Name)-chan," came the murmur right before the strong arms that wrapped around your middle and a set of lips settled on your neck. You smiled and turned to meet warm grey eyes.

"And you look extremely handsome," you said wrapping your arms around your husband's neck. Ryohei smiled down at you and bent to kiss your lips.

"Misa-chan and Kimmi are coming over aren't they?" you asked. Those two had been inseparable since they had been introduced and had been the reason you and Ryohei got along swimmingly. A few bribes to the girls and a lot of excuses (to your sister and his) later, you had become a couple and had started dating almost two years ago. The rest was, as they say, history.

"Yosh! And we'll have some extreme game-time. You should join us this year (Name)-chan."

"I just hope they don't disturb *Hiroaki-kun too much," you sighed. Your little son, Sasagawa Hiroaki, had been born almost half a year ago and this was his first ever Christmas. His cousins had taken to him like fish to water. Your sister would come and bring the twins and your new sister-in-law, Kyoko and brother-in-law, Tsuna would be coming to along with a few friends. It would be a full house. For once you couldn't wait!

"Well, we'll manage I'm sure. Then later we can have our own little celebration, if you win" you said running your hands up his chest. He smiled and nuzzled your nose placing one last kiss on your lips.

"I like that idea TO THE EXTREME!" he said.

*_Hiroaki – widespread brightness. (cheesy I know and a kinda bad pun on the fact that Ryohei is the Sun Guardian, but it's a nice name, yes? Did anyone know Haru is a unisex name and can mean 'clear up' or 'sunlight' as well as 'spring'? Fun fact!)_


	8. Colonello

**Here is Colonello's fic (finally!). I have really tried with him and I've made Lal his cousin (please don't kill me!) so that it fits in the plot well. I hope you like it. Let me know what you think please? Many thanks! Still accepting requests for the final stories by the way!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR nor do I claim any rights to it or any of the characters in this fan fiction story. I own the plot and nothing else.**

It had been another late night. You didn't like staying in the restaurant this late, but you supposed the few extra dollars you got for serving a couple of drunks would go a long way in saving up for that apartment you wanted. It had taken a good chunk out of your time, but it was well worth it in your opinion.

You sighed and put down your rag hoping to rest for a couple of minutes. It was tiring closing up since there was always so much to do. Everyone else had the day off, but ah, what a day it had been! You leaned back in the booth where _**he**_ had sat.

That morning had been as ordinary as any other busy morning on a holiday. Working in a restaurant meant a lot of Christmas customers. It was very good for bonuses for all workers anyway. You had just put on your apron ready to head out when the owner had called you aside and asked you to take special care of the guest in that booth; third one on the left. You sighed and grabbed your notebook and pen.

Usually, special customers meant a larger tip and that worked just fine for you. On your way there, as usual, you questioned for the thousandth time, your reasons for working here. The pay wasn't so good and the hours were long. You had made a few friends, but most of them had the good sense to quit. You were the stubborn one. The work conditions weren't bad, but you were sure you could do better. Your boss was friendly to boot, although sometimes he was a little too friendly. It was creepy. What on earth was keeping you there? Your bills, you supposed. They wouldn't pay themselves and already you had a couple of debts to pay.

As usual, you didn't finish your internal argument since the short distance between the counter and the tables didn't warrant enough time for a full debate. You sighed when you got to the table and grabbed your pen from behind your ear and raised your notebook then looked at the customer.

Then you stopped in your tracks.

Seated in that booth were two army officers. One was a dark-haired woman who sent scathing looks at the young man across from her. You barely made out her officer's uniform and guessed she had to be rather high up in the ranks. The young man, however, looked to be maybe a private. It was the man who had caught your attention the most and had you blushing in a few moments. Noting your blush, his smiled widened a fraction and his partner's anger spiked.

"Um... H... how may I se... serve you?" you stammered and took a deep breath turning to the woman. She huffed and leaned back then smiled at you ignoring her partner completely.

"We'd like the breakfast specials please, extra ham and a helping of pancakes for my friend over here and a glass of milk instead of tea. I would like some honey as well with that," she said. You nodded and scribbled it all down avoiding meeting the man's eyes. When you got to the counter, you placed the order then dashed to the back. What the hell was that? You had been serving customers here, both hot and not for almost a year now!

Not one of them, no matter how much they hit on you, had fazed you in the least... So what in the name of buttered eggs was wrong with you today? You put a hand to your forehead. Maybe you were sick? Yes, that was it. You were sick. You needed a good night's sleep, that was all. You would make sure you had an early night in.

He was hot though, you had to admit that to yourself. As far as guys went, you never really were good in the romance sector. Your friends and your mother had complained severally but you were working on it. It wasn't like you wanted to be alone forever. She had even asked you to quit your job since you obviously weren't going to meet good men that way.

A stark pair of blue eyes came to mind and you shut your eyes. Why had that guy affected you so much. He was nothing special, with his blue, blue eyes and his bright golden hair and how perfect smile... But really, how many men had you seen fitting that description and not one of them had been enough to warrant a second glance in your opinion?

"Come on, get yourself together, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this man. There's nothing wrong with you either. You're just tired so go in, do this and you can get off work early," you told yourself. Fisting your hands and strengthening your resolve, you slapped a smile on your face, took a deep breath and walked back into the restaurant just in time to take the order to the table.

You didn't spare the young private another glance. There were plenty of other customers to serve and you couldn't afford to lose your focus today. The Christmas bonus, which you had estimated, would be just the right push you needed to finish your debts and start your savings plan so you could get that apartment on the other side of town. That would be just the first step. Next, you would switch jobs and put your degree to proper use and find what you termed as a real job.

Your plan to ignore the man was working fine until the man from the booth had come up to you and asked for the way to the bathrooms. Now, you had done a wonderful job of ignoring him. So good, in fact, that you had actually forgotten just how good he looked and tricked yourself into believing that he didn't really look that good.

Big mistake.

When he tapped your shoulder, you nearly dropped your notebook. He smirked watching your face fill with colour. You weren't even sure what he had asked. It took about a minute for it to register and when it did, you dipped your head and led him in silence, after which you headed straight for the back room again. What had gotten into you all of a sudden? The guy probably even had a girlfriend. Yes, how could you forget? There was a woman with him.

She certainly was pretty. They had probably been going out for years! You didn't doubt it. Yes, that was it. He was taken so you didn't have to worry about him. You had an aversion to men who were taken no matter how hot they were. That was it! You sighed in relief. You wouldn't have to bother with him again. To prove it, when you saw him again, you gave him the biggest smile you could muster without making your victory too obvious. No doubt he would think you a little mad if you did.

You sighed in triumph and took a couple more orders. You even stopped by their table once or twice and looked the handsome blonde right in the eye. He looked a little surprised, but thoroughly pleased with the change in you. He did have that curious look in his eyes. Usually that meant you wouldn't get a moment's peace, but you knew how to deal with that. You couldn't work in a place like this and not know how to handle the more persistent customers.

Thrice he asked for tea, twice for pastries, much to the woman's chagrin, and the final time he called you to the table, he asked you for your number outright. The woman looked at him in shock. It was pretty embarrassing for you. Had he no shame? Really? In front of her? She must hate you now! She was going to complain to the manager and... she couldn't! That would mean no Christmas bonus and a serious dent in your finances!

You glanced worriedly at her and then turned to him, your face clearing up of all emotion. You couldn't do that under any circumstances. You wouldn't let some pretty boy with no sense and probably not much seriousness ruin your life.

"No thank you," you said and turned to the lady who was now looking at you incredulously.

"Come on... (Name)-chan. I want to see you later. Maybe I can come over..."

"Out of the question! That is enough Colonello. I will not sit here while you worry this poor woman to death. Now, either you behave or we leave at once and be warned, we are never coming back!" said the woman firmly. He looked at her and frowned.

"Oh come on Lal, I was just asking her for her number. It's not like I asked her to marry me," he said flashing you a grin. Lal huffed again, picked up her coat and got up. She turned to you with what you termed an apologetic smile. What was she apologising for?

"I'm really sorry about this. I don't want to give you any trouble. Colonello,get up at once! That's the last time I ever treat you to a restaurant. When we get back to the base, you are in big trouble!" she said and began walking to the door. Colonello sighed and turned to you. He smiled and pulled out his wallet. He laid a rather generous tip on the table and got up to leave, his gaze holding yours for a few minutes before he turned to follow Lal out the door.

You looked down and took the tip from off the table. Clutching your tray full of dishes, you walked into the kitchen to leave them for washing before you went out to serve more customers. You had done your special assignment for the day. You could relax now. The manager didn't have anything to complain about and even gave you a good bonus. However, you were stuck working the late shift. It was worth it. When the day was done, you could begin your week off by paying your debts and getting some well-deserved sleep.

You looked around the spotless diner and sighed. It was time you left. Just as you got up, however, you heard the door open again and you turned to see two men walk in. They didn't look too friendly and the sinister smiles on their faces proved your suspicions. They weren't here for the late night advantage. Now, why hadn't you locked that door again? You beat yourself up mentally and started backing towards the counter. This was not going to end well, unless you could get to a weapon. The bottle behind the counter would have to do.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A pretty little miss all alone and here we were thinking we'd have to go without our entertainment for the day," said the bigger of the two. This was not good at all. They were advancing faster than you were retreating.

You turned and rushed to get there hoping you were close enough to beat them only to be tackled to the ground before you could blink. You felt a heavy weight on your back and a deep laugh above and on you. You closed your eyes. This was not happening. You really should have taken those self-defence classes... And why, knowing the nature of men in the middle of the night, had you not asked for company while you locked up? It was all your fault again. What was wrong with you today?

"Now, now girl. You be good and we'll show you a good time. Make us angry and things won't go so well for you, understand?"

What could you do really? You wanted to scream. You needed help, but knowing people, the only ones outside at this time were too drunk to hear you or to bother with you if they did. Bad things happened all the time. Your lucky streak had run out. Now it was your turn. You would fight back alright. No way were you going to just sit there and be defiled.

You tried to get the man off you, but he may as well be made of brick for all the good that did you. You looked into the men's eyes and the grin of the second one as he held your hands made you freeze in place. Was that it? You were going down without having any damage at all? The one on top of you covered your mouth with his hand just as you tried to scream. It didn't do you any good. You couldn't be heard now no matter what you did.

You couldn't believe it, this was actually going to happen! Why did it have to happen and to you of all people? You could pray for a miracle, which you had started doing as the first man's hands went under our skirt (you cursed it for the umpteen millionth time for being so damned short). You could as well tire yourself out fighting them and screaming which you were also doing with ever ounce of strength you had.

Neither course of action seemed to be doing you much good, until you heard the door open. You stopped and so did the men. One of them looked up and you heard a rather familiar voice call out.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" the voice asked.

"We're closed buddy, keep it moving."

"Yeah, I was just in the neighbourhood and thought I'd stop by to see if I can find the address of one of the waitresses... you do work here, don't you?" asked the voice again. Your eyes widened. You didn't dare believe it. It was the guy from before! It had to be! You were conveniently hidden and the men didn't want you to make a sound or you would die. Still, you had to do something! You couldn't lose this opportunity! You wriggled under the big guy and he sent you a scathing look. You bit his hand, much to your disgust and he let go yelling curses.

At least whoever it was had been alerted of the situation now. They could either go for help or help you out themselves... if they were sober and rational. You heard a crack and then a thud. Someone had fallen to the ground you guessed. Yay! It was working! Suddenly the man on top of you yanked you up by the hair and held you up to your hero. It _**was**_ the man from earlier and he looked angry. His gaze took on a particularly hard edge when he saw you. You couldn't help the smile on your face despite the sharp pain in your head.

"Let her go now!" he said and held up his fists. You looked at him incredulously. Was this guy for real? Oh well, you had prayed for the miracle and here it was.

You were shoved aside and the man lunged at Colonello. You couldn't believe your eyes! Against such a big man, he effortlessly landed punch after punch and had him writhing on the floor. Next to the other man. He turned to you then and started walking towards you. You watched him rooted to the spot wondering what he was going to do. You would kiss him if you could move, but you were rather stunned, more so when his arms went around you.

"Hey, it's okay. Just relax now (Name)-chan," he said. His arms were around you and your head rested against his chest. You breathed in his scent and calmed down infinitely. The two men got up again and with one look from Colonello, they bustled out the door muttering curses.

"They won't be back in a hurry," he said smiling down at you, "what are you doing here all alone?"

You looked back at the door then around you. Had all that really just happened? If so then you owed God an giant debt and you would make good on it too!

"I was... I was locking up. I... um, thanks. I really don't... I mean if you hadn't..."

"It's okay," he said with a chuckle, "I'm glad I found you. I wanted to ask you for your number again..."

"That again? Why did you ask me that in front of your girlfriend?" you asked, your courage coming back in leaps and bounds.

"My girlfriend?" he asked looking down at you with a confused look. You pulled out of his arms and went to the booth to get your rag when his hand stopped you again. You turned and met his smiling face. You raised an inquisitive brow as his hand went around your waist this time.

"You thought Lal was my girlfriend?" he said and brought his face closer to yours so that his forehead touched yours. He was rather bold, wasn't he? You eyes widened and you wondered if this miracle was really a miracle after all. With another glance at you, he held your chin with his thumb and forefinger.

"She's not my girlfriend. Lal is my cousin," he said and leaned in to kiss you. Cousin? Was that so? You had to hand it to your instinct. It sucked! Still, this wasn't so bad, getting a kiss from a handsome man you had only met that morning. Adventurous came to mind when you thought about it. Then he squeezed your waist gently and all coherent thought flew right out of your head. When he pulled away, you weren't even sure where you were.

"But I would like to ask you out, if you don't mind," he said looking right into your eyes. You blushed and smiled pulling away from him.

"I have next week off. I know a place with some great Christmas deals..." he smirked at you and nodded.

"Friday then. It'll be my treat," he said. He stayed until you were ready to leave then he walked you home. Nothing could have prepared you for that day, but you didn't mind it at all. What a way to start another new year.

_A/N_: Sorry it's late. It took me two whole days to figure out this plot and, well, I hope it was worth it! Happy New Year!


	9. Tsuna

**I wasn't very sure how this would turn out, but it was inspired with a little help from my brother. One of the pairings is crack, I'll be the first to admit, but what's the point of fan fiction otherwise? You have been warned! Anyway, don't forget to let me know what you think! There are four stories to go and I'm still waiting for your suggestions so, don't forget to do that either if you have an idea. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR nor do I claim any rights to it. I am only responsible for the plot and nothing else.**

"(Name)-chan, wake up," came a gentle voice from above you. You groaned and turned over. Honestly, was it just you or did the sun rise earlier and earlier each morning? It felt like you hadn't really rested that much at all after a late night planning the new security details with Hibari and Ryohei. You could bet anything that the Sun-Guardian was still awake.

"(Name)-chan," came the voice again, a little nearer your ear again. You smiled and cuddled up to your pillow again teasing the man above you. Two soft lips landed on your cheek and a warm hand caressed you arm. The voice then whispered.

"Please (Name)-chan, it's Christmas and I want to spend it with you." You felt a hand slide up your side and your smile widened as you slowly opened your eyes.

"I hope there's a good reason for your being here Vongola," you said sitting up.

"As a matter of fact, there is. You see, I have a whole free day to spend with my girlfriend and I came here to wake her up," he said scooting over closer. You put your hand on his shoulder and smiled as you leaned in to kiss him.

"Dame-Tsuna, are you still here?" came the voice from the doorway. Honestly, sometimes, you couldn't stand that kid, but he was pretty cute, and he did make a lot of sense... most of the time. You turned to the doorway to see Reborn standing there.

"Ah, Reborn, what do you mean 'still?' I came to get (Name)-chan so we could..."

"Yes, and I was wondering why you took so long. (Name), please get ready so we can go. It's late you know," he said tipping his fedora. You looked away from him as he left and noticed the panic on Tsuna's face.

"Why do I get the feeling that I shouldn't be very excited about today?" you asked turning his face to yours. Tsuna smiled reassuringly, caught your hand and kissed your palm.

"It's nothing (Name)-chan, really. It's Christmas and I'm not as young and unskilled as I used to be when I first met him. I won't let anything spoil our day..." he said.

"Promise?" you asked hopefully. He pulled your face to his and kissed your lips.

"I promise," he whispered before he kissed you again. You couldn't believe how far you and Tsuna had come. You had both changed since the first time you had met almost nine years ago. You knew about the Vongola and the Mafia and you also knew and were still slowly adjusting to the fact that Tsunayoshi Sawada was the family's boss. He didn't look like a boss when you met him. He had almost no confidence and he was pretty cute, but not confident at all. In fact, aside from his guardians, you doubted he had any friends at all!

His hand wrapped around yours and pinned it on the bed. His other hand slowly caressed your waist. Tsuna would definitely never have done that eight or so years ago. Your arms went around him as you smiled against his lips. Giving you one last kiss, he stroked your cheek with his thumb and smiled.

"I love you," he said softly. You hugged him then and sighed.

"I love you too," you said. He chuckled and gave you a short squeeze before getting up.

"Reborn is right though. You have to come down as soon as you can. He wants us to see his Christmas present, whatever it is." You raised a brow but said nothing. Reborn was someone to be feared. One time, he had you kidnapped and tied up to test Tsuna for something or other. The other time, you were both trapped in an illusion. It had freaked you out a couple of times, but you thanked God for Haru and Kyoko. They had been keeping the secret longer than you had and they knew what it felt like. Those first days had been pretty hard. If it wasn't for them, you probably wouldn't have been waking up in that bed.

Pushing all thoughts aside, you got up and went to the bathroom to get ready. It was Christmas after all, how many things could possibly go wrong? Reborn couldn't possibly be that mean. He tended to be nicer to you than Tsuna (he was the one in training after all), and he did interrupt a lot of your romantic moments with Tsuna, but you supposed it was expected. He was Reborn after all and who knew how he thought?

Pulling on your favourite shirt, sweater and skirt, you went to get a pair of socks and boots. The ones you bought the week before with the girls would go nicely with the outfit you had prepared. You couldn't wait to get together with Haru. She and I-pin had decided to make the Christmas meal and Kyoko and Chrome had decided to do the decorations. Hana would come to help where she was needed but she would mostly do the decorations as well.

The guardians were going to have a dinner party and you were excited. As the girlfriend of the boss, it was almost as if you were hosting everyone! It would be a very long night and you would probably look forward to getting back into your bed. That was your life now and you had grown to love it. There were so many people around you now and you loved it. You wouldn't change your circumstances now for all the world.

After Breakfast, you and Tsuna went to meet Reborn in Irie Shoichi's lab. He was standing with the scientist and Spanner as they fiddled with a machine.

"Er, Reborn, what is this?" you asked looking at the forbidding machine. He smiled and led you to it.

"It's what I've been working on for today. I want to show you a few things. Spanner and Shoichi have been working all night on this so that I can help my stupid student with his hardest task yet. Are you ready for your mission?" he asked. You swallowed and looked at the machine. It was to help Tsuna? Then you would do it... but what about that said that it would be the best Christmas present ever?

You stepped uncertainly under the machine and Tsuna stood beside you.

"So, the first thing will be to send you to the past," said Reborn casually. He signalled to Shoichi and Spanner. You looked back and forth between them and then looked up at Tsuna.

"Th... the past? What do you mean?" you asked.

"You'll find out, but don't mess with anything in the past or you could seriously damage the present. Don't leave anything there and don't talk to anyone, just watch, alright? These will keep you invisible for the duration of your time there, alright?" said Spanner holding up two watches. You took them and he explained how to use the watches before stepping back as a bright light surrounded you.

You held Tsuna's hand in yours as you travelled back to who knew when. When the light had faded, you found yourself standing outside your house. You both set your watches.

"I wonder what this is about," you thought and headed to the porch. You looked into the window and sighed. The tree was up and your parents were sitting under the tree looking at an album. That was a very familiar picture. If you weren't wrong, you would come around the corner hand in hand with Tsuna. This was the day you had introduced Tsuna to your parents about four or five years back.

Sure enough, a younger you and a younger Tsuna turned the corner heading for the house. Tsuna pulled you aside and held your hand as you watched. When the younger you stopped outside your house, you smiled shyly at Tsuna. He leaned in then and kissed you. It was a rather clumsy kiss reminding you of the ones you had shared when you were younger and he was so much cuter and more easily embarrassed.

You squeezed Tsuna's hand watching as the younger you invited the younger Tsuna into your house. He hesitated a moment but agreed in the end. You turned to Tsuna and he smiled.

"It's the day I met your parents. I wonder what Reborn wanted us to learn by bringing us here," he said and led you into the house before the door could be shut. You watched as the two sat down with your parents and the younger you introduced Tsuna. After a few minutes of silence whilst your parents regarded the brunette sitting with their daughter, they smiled and shook hands with Tsuna. That had been the first big step of your relationship.

You hugged his arm now reliving the memory.

"That wasn't so bad, and you were so scared. I told you my dad wasn't so bad," you said with a sigh. "I suppose not. Compared to Reborn, I really don't think he was that scary," he said and kissed you temple.

Those were the happier days of your life. You saw your father lead Tsuna away. You had wondered what that was about since Tsuna came back with his face white as a sheet. Your father had winked at you both and you had suspected perhaps he had threatened poor Tsuna. You had forgotten to ask about it then so you asked him about it now.

"He told me to make sure I took good care of you or he would come after my head," he added and squeezed your shoulders.

"I think you've done a pretty good job so far," you said and wrapped your arms around his middle.

You looked once more at the scene when your watches both beeped. According to Spanner's instructions, when the watch beeped, you were meant to press the button on the side and be transported to the next scene or, when the 'flashbacks' were done, back to the lab.

You pressed the buttons and were taken to the cemetery. You held your breath. This was the hardest day of your life; the day you buried your parents. It was the natural order of things, you supposed, but you had lost them both on the same day. You had barely gotten the details after hearing that they were both gone, but you knew there was some kind of accident that had cost them both their lives along with four others whom you didn't really know.

You watched the younger you cry into Tsuna's shoulder. He had come with his guardians. They had come to support you and pay your respects. Tsuna put his arm around you and you looked up to meet his warm gaze. He had been so important to you at that time and you couldn't imagine anyone else being as kind a loving as he had been. That had been almost six months after he had met your parents. The devastation had been so intense.

A tear rolled down your cheek and you felt rather than saw Tsuna's hand wipe it away.

"I miss them so much," you whispered squeezing his arm a little tighter. He smiled and wrapped you in his warm embrace. He had kept his promise at least. He had taken care of you ever since and he hadn't hesitated to take you in when you had nowhere else to go. He had inherited the Vongola name and with it an inheritance which he spent on your education and put you through school and university.

You smiled and reached up to kiss his lips. He kissed you back and rubbed your back as he held you. You had never felt safer than when he was holding you.

"Thank you," you said and smiled. Your watches beeped again. It was time to go. Tsuna gave you a smile and held your hand again. You both pressed the buttons on your watches again and were sent to the day before Christmas. You had woken up to Haru's excited squeal. She and Hibari were going to go for a late holiday for a few days. He was very rigid about his plans and she couldn't wait to tell you the great news. Kyoko wasn't far behind. She was very pregnant even though she was only six months along.

She had a plate of cookies in hand, chocolate according to the day's craving, and sat on your bed with a smile. You gave her a hug and helped her with a couple of pillows.

"Thank you,"she said and leaned back with a sigh, "I suppose Haru has told you the news," she said. You nodded taking a cookie off the plate. Kyoko might be craving, but she was never mean about it, as long as you understood that the last cookie was hers.

"How's Shoichi taking the fact that he's about to become a daddy?" you asked switching topics. Kyoko laughed and patted her swollen stomach.

"I think he's taking it pretty well. His stomach aches have even stopped. I think he's almost ready for it," she said. You looked up at Tsuna since he was subconsciously squeezing your hand. It wasn't too hard, but just enough to tell you he was a little worried. He had had a crush on Kyoko when they were younger, you knew, so this couldn't be easy for him. You smiled and lay your hand on his as you watched the scene before you. It was a little strange seeing yourself like this. Talk about an out of body experience!

"So, (Name)-chan, when are your wedding bells with Tsuna?" asked Haru turning the conversation to you. You blushed now remembering where the conversation was headed.

"I don't know," you replied taking another bite out of your cookie, "but I... I think I'm ready for it, you know? I just feel like I'm at that point in my life..."

"And this has nothing to do with the fact that both me and Kyoko are married, I assume," said Haru with a devious smile. You laughed and thumped her with your pillow.

"Well, maybe that too," you said.

"I hope you two are really happy together. Tsuna is a really great guy," said Kyoko taking your hand in hers. You nodded in wholehearted agreement. Just in time too because your watches beeped again. You hastily pressed yours not meeting Tsuna's gaze although you could practically feel his gaze boring into yours. When you did finally look at him, you saw the question in his eyes and very blatantly ignored it.

You were at a Christmas party with the guardians and their children and spouses, for those who had them. The children were all running around everywhere and the women were in the kitchen while the men sat in easy chairs or stood around the living room in the Vongola mansion. You turned to Tsuna comparing his slightly younger self to his much older self. You supposed he didn't look so different but a lot more confident and sure of himself.

Just then, you walked in with a little boy in your arms. He had Tsuna's unruly hair and eyes, but you could tell that he looked distinctly like your father. The older you beamed as she went to hand the boy to his father and planted a small kiss on his lips. Smiling at the other guardians, you went back out leaving Tsuna with his son. You could see the pride shining in his eyes as he held up the excitable little boy.

"Are you getting any ideas?" you asked as you smiled up at Tsuna and hugged his arm. He smiled down at you and leaned in to whisper in your ear. A few years ago, Tsuna would shy away at the thought of ever doing such a thing, but not now. He wrapped an arm around your waist as he said the next words.

"A few, but I'll tell you when we get back," he said. You giggled as your watches beeped again. It was time to go but you had both seen enough, you supposed. The final scene was when you were much older. It was Christmas since the house was festively decorated. Three young men and women sat around the two of you telling you about the new advancements in the Vongola and how the family was doing. You supposed they were your children since they were all variations of either of you. You held a little one in your arms and smiled as she gurgled in delight when you tickled her stomach. You were a grandma to boot!

"Well, would you look at that," said Tsuna wrapping his arms around your waist from behind and kissing your cheek, "probably sixty and still as beautiful as ever." you smiled and turned so he could kiss your lips. You were happy knowing what had and could happen. You had a chance at a life with Tsuna and any doubts you had had before were now completely gone. You sighed and pressed the buttons on your watches as they beeped.

You were back in the lab under the machine that had transported you through time. You supposed that was the end of it. Spanner took back the watches and Shoichi made sure you were fine. Reborn hopped off his stool and smiled at the both of you. You smiled back and thanked him then left since he needed to talk to Tsuna privately. What an amazing time that had been!

The next day, Tsuna woke you up again. It was boxing day and he said he had a gift for you. You smiled at the small box in your hands hoping and dreading what it might or might not be. You flipped open the lid and found a beautiful engagement ring, very similar to the one your mother had. You looked back at Tsuna in shock.

"So, (Name)-chan, I got to thinking yesterday after we came back. We had a lot of good memories by the time we were sixty and I want to live each one. So, will you please do me the honour of becoming my wife?" he asked. You looked back at the ring and then at Tsuna and nodded. Of course you would! What could really be better? Sure the future wasn't fixed and anything could happen, but the possibilities were endless. You had something to look forward to at least and that was enough of a push in your opinion.

Of course now Haru and Kyoko had to be the very first to know. You kissed him then and smiled. A lifetime of memories with the most wonderful man in the world awaited you and you couldn't wait to start.

_A/N_: _Well, I did warn you about the crack pairing, but I've been wanting to put it up for weeks. Let me know what you think, yes? And if you have any other special requests, I'll be happy to hear them :)_


	10. Xanxus

**Yay! Another difficult fic done! I can't believe how easy these 'hard' ones are turning out to be! It's amazing! I've done my second ever Varia fic and frankly, I think it's a stroke of genius. I hope I haven't disappointed those of you that were counting on this story. Three more to go! Who's as excited as me? Let me know what you think? Many thanks and enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR nor do I claim any rights to it or any of the characters in this fan fiction story. I only own the plot and nothing else.**

Being the only female in the Varia was annoying. You were literally the only female in the entire castle! You had no privacy whatsoever and you had to put up with a lot of dirt, grime and generally disgusting stuff that would make any other girl squirm and run out of there screaming her head off.

You had dealt with the cuts, bruises and scrapes. There were quite a number that were especially serious and, being the best doctor that money could afford, of course you would go with the most brutal Mafia gang around of your own accord, right? Wrong. You were there to clear the debt you owed the leader, Xanxus, That you were a good doctor was simply a bonus and you had to work for the Varia for ten years to be free.

The Tenth Vongola heir knew about it but either he didn't bother the Varia that much or he was intimidated into silence, the latter being the likely case. You sighed as you checked the bandages on Belphegor for the third time. He had gotten pretty beaten up but paired with Lussuria's Sun Flames, of course he was getting better faster and would be able to get back into action in two weeks give or take a few days. You gave him his ointment and left the room heading for your own.

Xanxus wouldn't let him stay too long in the infirmary though. He didn't believe in resting to allow a would to heal. What was up with that? He could be rather stubborn and you had learned that in your first year of working with him. He wouldn't even let serious wounds be dealt with and really, you never bothered with him anyway. If his wounds festered and he died of an infection, it would really be better for you...

But really, the laws of medicine as you were taught them, applied to anyone. As long as someone needed help, it was a doctor's duty to tend to them. Still, there was nothing against imagining the various ways to kill that bastard. He could be so pig-headed sometimes! Then you heard a commotion at the door. You hoped it wasn't what you thought it was. You really didn't need this this late at night. It was the holidays after all so it wouldn't be unwarranted really. Xanxus didn't let you go home for any reason, so of course your mother would miss her eldest baby.

Your mother had come twice or thrice to the castle and demanded, yes, demanded to see you. Nobody ever demanded anything of Xanxus unless they were either demented or too strong to care. Your mother was neither, but it was your father's fault you were indebted to the Mafia to begin with and he had left home a long time ago, too long for you to even remember what he looked like. All the times she had come, she had been turned away. After that last time, he had come into your room to warn you. You had glared at him defiantly and he had looked like he was seriously considering crushing your neck.

"Consider yourself lucky," he had said, or rather growled. He punched a hole in the wall beside your head for good measure. You took a deep breath and clutched the collar of your top. He scared you for sure. The very first time you met him was the scariest day of your life. It was unnerving how much he unsettled you. You weren't alone in that. He scared everyone, the Varia members included, in some situations.

Luckily, it wasn't your mother, just Fran and Squalo having it out. Mammon was around somewhere, probably just waiting for you to mess up or biding his time so he could scare you for the millionth time that week. It got really old after the tenth time and after the twentieth time, you had stopped keeping count. To the Varia, you were just another plaything. Either you were getting yelled at or you were the centre of all their jokes.

You sighed and sat back in the arm chair in your room with a sigh. You needed a break from the Varia, for good! You scratched your scalp freeing your (h/c) hair of its band and leaned back cursing your dead-beat dad for the billionth time that week. God only knew how that bastard had died, but you were sure he was dead. The reports had come back and your mother had gone alone to confirm it. She wouldn't let you see what he looked like and you weren't really so bothered.

At least you were getting some pay since half of it went towards buying your family's freedom. You opened your weary eyes as your door slammed open. That was another thing you hated. There was no privacy whatsoever in this castle. You had to either put up with it and simply show yourself in various versions of nakedness so the guys would blush and apologise (this would never happen except maybe, stress on maybe, with Squalo) or find a way to keep yourself hidden while you changed.

The bathroom worked best for this because at least you were allowed to keep that key. Your bedroom key had been taken from you since Xanxus didn't trust you further than he could throw you, which was pretty far if you thought about it. Back to the intruder at hand.

"VOOOI! (NAME), THE BOSS WANTS YOU AT THE TABLE TONIGHT AND HE SAYS NO ARGUMENTS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THAT CHAIR? AREN'T YOU MEANT TO BE LOOKING OVER THE PATIENTS IN THE INFIRMARY?" he asked. You rubbed your sore neck and leaned forward with some difficulty. Every one of your muscles was screaming bloody murder and you were sure you would collapse from fatigue. On top of all that, you now had a headache from the very vocal Rain Guardian of the Varia. You found it a bit ironic that he was the tranquillising factor of the Varia.

"I already looked over the patients, unless more have come in. I already heard about dinner, but thanks for reminding me. You can tell Xanxus I'll be there," you said with a smile.

"Voi, you don't look so good. Wh... what's wrong with you? You look pale... (Name)!"

That was the last thing you heard before you passed out. You weren't sure how long you were out for, but when you woke up, you were in your bed with Xanxus' bright red eyes glaring down at you. You sighed and shut your eyes again hoping this was all a bad dream, praying with all your heart that it was.

"Get up trash," came his angry voice from above you. It was no dream. You sighed again and moved to get up, your bones all protesting with all they had. You winced and settled finally on your pillow then looked up at him.

"What happened to you?" he asked, his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on you. You looked down. Really, you guessed it was the fatigue and the strain of being the only medical help in the entire castle besides Lussuria who was mostly out on a mission or something and bringing you the worst cases, like Bel. You just remembered that you had been taking care of him.

"Have you gone dumb as well? Answer me!" he said his face taking on a very subtle hard edge. You were thankful for that small psychology lesson from the doctor you had been under as an apprentice and thus taken over from.

"I don't know. I would say it's fatigue," you said raising your hand to your forehead. You didn't feel feverish, but it hurt like the devil and you really were in no mood to deal with your temperamental temporary boss.

"You missed dinner," he said and turned away, "don't expect any food until breakfast." You sighed when he finally left. Those red eyes had haunted your sleep for very many nights. You crawled back under the covers and pulled them up to your neck. All you really wanted was to rest. You were sure you would be fine for breakfast. It didn't seem like you had been out that long. You shut your eyes and promptly fell asleep.

The next morning, it was Lussuria waking you up dressed in a rather fashionable pair of pants and a shirt although the ridiculous pink apron with the frills spoilt the entire look. You smiled fondly though. Of all the Varia, you liked Lussuria and Fran the best; Lussy-chan (he preferred that) because you had a lot in common and he looked after you in times like this and Fran because aside from his very frank, very annoying side, he was quite nice. You didn't like Xanxus at all, the proud goat.

"Good Morning (Name)-chan!" he said coming in with a breakfast tray, "I have brought you some of this fabulous breakfast. I know boss is angry with you because you got so sick, but I keep telling you he shouldn't make you work so hard, hmm?" He set the tray down and faced you with his hands on his hips. He headed for your drawer as you sat up and propped up some pillows behind you.

"You shouldn't do that (Name)-chan! That's why your Lussy-chan is here to help you!" He grabbed the pillows from you and plumped them before putting them behind you and making sure you were comfortable. "That's nice, nee?" he said and smiled brightly before getting the tray.

"This is a nice healthy breakfast for you since you are so weak. Have you even been eating at all? Oh darling, you are skin and bone, you have to eat more, hmm? Here, have a scone. I made it myself!" You sighed and watched him rush about your room opening the curtains and talking a mile a minute. He was always like this and you loved it. He fussed over you like a mother hen over her chicks... like your mother used to when you were younger.

"Now, make sure you eat that and drink all your porridge. The tea will get cold if you let it stay. It's herbal so it will clear up your system and you'll be good as new in no time. But if you still don't feel so good, I can get out my box-animal to make you feel all better," he said sitting on your bed beside you.

"Thank you Lussy-chan," you said and sipped your porridge. It was pretty good. You had to hand it to him, when Lussuria decided to cook, he went all out. You put down your empty bowl and looked at his smiling face, your own expression falling a little.

"What's wrong now, do you feel worse?" he asked already getting out his ring. You shook your head and gave a weak smile as a rebellious tear rolled down your cheek. The truth was, you missed your family. You missed your mother and the way she would smile proudly at you. You missed your younger brother and his tricks and mischief. You missed your sister and her constant fussing over the little things.

"I... I just wish he would let me go home. I just want to see them again. I mean, I know I have a debt to repay, but I wouldn't mind doing it for the rest of my life if I could get to see my family every now and again..." you wiped the single streak on your face and sighed with a slightly brighter smile. Lussuria patted your shoulder and smiled.

"Well, maybe boss will have a change of heart. He likes you, you know," he said getting up and handling the dishes on the tray beside your table. You looked at him shocked, your cup held in place halfway to your lips. What had he just said?

"You know, I think you need to change the curtains in this room. They are rather bland, aren't they? You need a little more yellow, or maybe red. Brown doesn't do anything for you at all,"he said, hands on his hips.

"I'm sorry what was that?" you asked putting your cup down and away from you afraid you would drop it if you didn't.

"I said brown doesn't do anything for you. Why do you think I haven't bought you anything brown before?"

"No, no, the other thing... He likes me?"

"Yes, he likes you. How many times have you seen him throw a tantrum over one of us being sick? You do remember the food poisoning you got last year, don't you? The cook was fired within the hour of you getting sick. Who do you think asked me to take care of you, hmm?" he said pinching your cheek and getting up.

"I have to go now, but you had better finish all that tea. I'll send someone up for the dishes later. You stay healthy now, eh? See you (Name)-chan!" he said with one last wave then he was out the door. What a morning! Xanxus liked you? That in itself was amazing! He did have an awfully funny way of showing it though, but you were a little sceptical. Xanxus was never nice an you could bet anything that he was never nice to anyone.

Maybe Lussuria was wrong. No, he was definitely wrong. Xanxus didn't like you. He didn't like anyone. He was incapable of feeling. With that thought safely settled in your mind, you finished your breakfast and went to sleep. By the time you woke up, you would be good as new and ready for the gruelling time ahead of you.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Your work shift had changed and there was a new nurse in the infirmary when you finally got there. There was a much lighter load, you found. You couldn't understand it, but you were grateful that Xanxus had noticed. You supposed you should go and see him about it. You had to tend to the newest patients though so you would do that first. It was the holidays and you wished you could see your family, but that was enough. At least you didn't have to work yourself to the bone any more and the new nurse was very helpful.

Some time after the nurse had left, you sat down to finish up a report and an inventory of the drugs you needed. You felt much better so you could do this without as many complaints as you had before. You didn't mind this change one little bit.

"You're still here. Weren't you meant to be resting? I thought your shift was changed," came a deep voice from the doorway. You nearly jumped a mile when you looked up and saw who it was. Xanxus stood there leaning against the door frame and watched you. Your paleness gradually faded and you stood and smiled.

"It was changed, but I still have a report to write. I just have to finish that and I'll be out of here. Is... is there something I can help you with?" you asked with your most sincere smile yet. In spite of yourself, Lussuria's words had affected you and for some unnamed reason, you couldn't stop smiling. He took out his arm from under his coat and held it out to you. You saw a large gash there.

On impulse, you reached for the medical kit and went to work immediately you had him seated. It was pretty bad.

You supposed Lussuria was out on a mission if he was coming to you for something like this. You weren't even sure you needed to know what had cut his arm that badly. You cleaned up his wound and bandaged it, all the while working in silence. You put away the equipment when you were done and went to the sink to wash your hands. You hadn't noticed him watching you. When you went to work on a patient, you gave it your all, so obviously you wouldn't notice.

You hadn't even noticed that you had pulled him into the room and made him sit. That was something you would never do and something he probably would never allow you to do. He had watched you carefully dab around the wound and ignored the pain altogether when you had cleaned the wound directly. The bandages at least stopped the bleeding and would keep it clean until Lussuria could come back.

That was the reason that when you looked up, you were surprised to find Xanxus' gaze fixed on you. Before you could blink, Xanxus' hand was behind your head and holding you in place as he crushed his lips onto yours. His other arm, the one you had just bandaged, went to your side and his hand rested on your hip.

You couldn't help that your eyes fluttered closed under his brutal ministrations. Bruised as you knew your lips would be, you didn't want it to stop. His tongue invaded your mouth and your head swam. You clutched at his shirt and gave a little moan. He groaned and kissed a flaming path down your cheek to your neck where he bit you. You cried out, your hands now on his shoulders having crawled up his chest at some point. You couldn't believe what was happening.

"You taste good, trash," you heard him murmur huskily near your ear. You shivered marvelling at the fact that you could like that voice. You sighed as he licked the mark that was probably there. You didn't mind it. Lussuria would wonder what had happened to you there, but you didn't really feel like worrying about that.

"You're mine now, you understand?" he said with a tiny squeeze at your waist. He smirked when you nodded and turned to head for the door.

"You can go and see your family tomorrow, but you had better come back or I'll come for you myself." Without a backward glance, he left the room. You looked at your reflection in the mirror above the sink and smiled. Your skin was flushed and there was a tell-tale mark on your neck. You smirked and covered it with your hand. You would be hard-pressed explaining that to your mum, but you were going home! So Lussuria had been right. Xanxus didn't have a good side as you had originally thought though. He just had another bad side, and you liked it.


	11. Hibari

**Yes, I know I wrote this one already, but I re-did the whole thing since I wasn't very happy with the story before. I think you'll like this one since the re-write was especially inspired even though it's decidedly shorter than the last one. Hibari fans, prepare yourselves. This is still a New Year's fic, but one that makes more sense. I apologise to all of you for the inconvenience. I will put up the last two stories as soon as I can. Please let me know what you think? Many Thanks!**

**DISCLAIMER" I do not own KHR or any of the characters involved in this fan fiction story. I am only responsible for the plot and nothing else.**

Hibari Kyoya was a fair employer, you had to admit, although he tended to be a bit self-centred. You weren't exactly under his employment... more of working with the Disciplinary committee. Yes, you were part of the very formidable group of young men who kept the discipline of Namimori Middle School. It was your final year and you spent it all being around the demon of Namimori, Hibari Kyoya.

You weren't very sure how all this had started, but you were sure it had something to do with the fact that Kusakabe had seriously needed your help one evening. You were about to head home when he had called you and asked for your help. He was in your class and he sat right beside you. He wasn't so bad once you got to know him. He liked having discipline and keeping it and you respected him for that. In return, he became one of the very best friends you had ever had in school. That explained the favour he asked of you then.

"Okay, so Hibari-san needs me to go with him today and I have a ton of work in the office to finish up which has to be done by the time I get back. I couldn't say no, since he would think I was crazy, but I really need your help. Would you do this for me?" he asked. You sighed and looked at him again. He was serious!

"So, you want me to go into the Disciplinary Committee office and work, after school hours... what if he catches me? I'll have it for sure and if he finds out you told me to, he'll get even more upset!" you sighed in frustration knowing you would help anyway.

"Please, (Name)-san, I can't think of anyone else to ask. Hibari doesn't allow any of the other Disciplinary Committee members on the premises after school and they will follow that to the letter. I really need this favour," he said. You looked at him again and sighed then nodded. You weren't expected home just yet and provided the work wasn't too much, you were ready to do it. You wondered though if this friendship was worth the risk it had on your life.

He showed you what needed doing and left a moment later to join Hibari on his excursion... or so you thought. About halfway through sorting some documents, the door opened again and you haplessly continued your work not bothering to see who it was. It had to be Kusakabe-san since he had said that if you were still around when he came back, he would escort you home. It couldn't be Hibari. He probably went home already. He did have a home, right? You didn't know.

"I'm almost done here then we... can..." you stopped in your tracks when you finally turned to the doorway and saw who was leaning there. Hibari regarded you for a moment then crossed his arms his eyes never leaving yours.

"Herbivore, what are you doing here after hours?" he asked. You swallowed with some difficulty, all coherent thought having flown out the window and having been replaced with unspeakable dread.

"I... I mean... the papers were... I had to fix the cabinet and... um... I mean the reports were messy and I... uh..." you stumbled over your words willing them to make sense although you were pretty sure most of them didn't. Hibari smirked at you then and you turned pale. What did he have planned for you now? That was the last time you did a favour like this for Kusakabe!

"Finish your work and go home," he said turning. Then he was gone. It took you a full minute to register what had just happened. When your mind finally got to work, you finished up the filing in ten minutes flat and rushed (not ran, Hibari would have your hide if you did) out of the school compound making a beeline for home. It was still sunset and you were glad for that. You didn't particularly like walking about in the dark. Who knew what else would happen to you!

The next day, however, you had found some papers at your desk and looked at them curiously. Kusakabe had come to sit down and explained that Hibari had dropped them off. He expected them labelled, filed and in order before lunchtime. Now, unless you gave up your break time, really, how else were you going to get that done? And why did you have to do it?

"So, why am I doing this again?" you had asked Kusakabe as you worked on the papers during break. He had felt sorry for you and decided to help.

"Hibari-san said that you did your work perfectly and there was need for a new secretary for the Disciplinary Committee. He said you were the only one who could actually speak when he found you in the office so you would do just fine." That reminded you that you needed to have a serious chat with Kusakabe about leaving you defenceless like that. As it turned out though, it was all planned from the start. You had been chosen as the secretary and you had passed your test so now you were stuck with a non-paying part-time job.

It wasn't so bad. Hibari made everyone nervous, but he wasn't cruel by any means. There was essentially, a method to his madness and it revolved around keeping the peace and maintaining discipline. You did mess up once or twice and he gave you a hard stare before releasing you, but that was it. You never repeated the same mistake twice at least.

Some evenings, you weren't sure how or why, Hibari would take you right up to your doorstep, having encouraged no form of conversation whatsoever then leave without a word. You didn't like it since you felt as if you were on the spot, but you didn't mind it since you felt much safer with him around. It was only for a year, however, and you had learned how to please Hibari and how not to please Hibari. The littlest of details had to be taken into account with him.

You graduated at the end of the year with Hibari and half the committee. You couldn't wait to start High School although, you had to admit, you rather liked the formality of the Disciplinary Committee and you would miss it. For so many nights you had stayed awake thinking of nothing but reports and papers and documents that needed Hibari's signature and so on. Now you wouldn't have any of that. You found you liked being busy and you would miss that most of all.

However, the best part of the year had come around and you were going to finally spend time with one of your estranged cousins. Dino Cavallone was related to you in some odd distant way on your mother's side. Someone was married to someone whose sister had married into the Cavallone line so he was like a third or fourth cousin or an uncle so many times removed.

He had been to Japan before, apparently and had somehow met your parents completely by chance. Without your knowledge, they had invited him over to stay with you while he was in Japan, at least for the holiday. He said that he already had plans, but he would invite you if only to get to know his cousin better. This would be an interesting holiday, you surmised. Meeting family was always fun, it was the best thing about your family. With your ten uncles and five aunts from either side of the family, how could you not run into family?

You were rather excited to have found him and he was about your age to boot. You hoped he wasn't one of those rich-kid types that was always looking to show off since you heard he was an heir or something like that and was pretty loaded even at twenty three. Regardless, you would meet him with an open mind.

You did about a week later although he had come with what looked like two bodyguards. He introduced them to you as Romario and the other one had a very complicated name you couldn't pronounce. Romario you remembered almost right away since for the next two or three days, he was the constant factor. Wherever Dino went, he wasn't far behind. You wondered at that, but you supposed Dino was a very important person.

He was very nice, you learned though and you had an amazing time with him. He took you everywhere with him and he was funny too. Sometimes you would lose Romario for a while and Dino would end up falling flat on his face and upsetting everything in his path. It was a strange thing, but you had a feeling that this only happened when Romario or one of the others was nowhere to be seen. That and the fact that Romario had hinted at it and given you a heart-warming speech about why he serves his boss with all his heart. You almost cried... really!

On the fourth day, Dino insisted that he wanted to introduce you to his friends since they were like family to him too. On the way there, he told you about most of them and something about a secret job or something similar. When you got to the house, you were introduced to someone known as Tsunayoshi Sawada. Some of the friends Dino had mentioned were there too and they were pretty cool. The one called Yamamoto was very friendly and pretty hot if you had an opinion. You would file him away for future reference.

At the end of a fun-filled day, you were heading back to Dino's hotel to get something he wanted to give your mother. You walked in and sat in one of the chairs. This was a life you could get used to. Dino had even invited you to come to Italy and see his mansion (yes, mansion!) sometime. You were thrilled. Now, if you could get your parents aboard on the idea, the rest would be smooth sailing. You went to the window and looked out over the city. He had a pretty good view from there. You could see all the way to the Namimori shrine. If you squinted, you could see the red-tiled rooftop of the building in question hidden amongst the green of the forest surrounding it.

The door behind you opened again and you turned thinking Dino was done. You stopped again in your tracks as you took in the sight before you. Hibari Kyoya had just walked in through the door and was also giving you a curious look. You opened and shut your mouth searching desperately for something to say. Was this coincidence? Did Hibari-san know Dino somehow? This was one hell of a surprise to be sure.

Just then, Dino walked in saving you the trouble of having to explain.

"Ah, Kyoya, I didn't expect to see you here," he said and went to greet the silent man. Hibari merely noted Dino's presence and turned his gaze back to you.

"Cavallone, why is she here?" he asked still looking right at you, pinning you where you stood with his gaze.

"Oh, (Name)-chan is keeping me company while I'm here in Japan. She's cute, nee? Why, do you know her?" he asked looking between you two. Hibari looked away first and then turned and walked out the building without another word. What was that about?

"(Name)-chan, I didn't know you knew Hibari Kyoya! Small world, eh? Come on, I don't want to be late for your mother's onigiri. It was really nice of her..."

"Look out!" your warning came too late. The table and vase full of flowers he had been standing near crashed to the ground and he followed them. You went to help him up. He wasn't badly hurt at least, but Romario came in a moment later and helped Dino into his seat. A rather comical argument ensued involving the reason Romario was there and why he shouldn't be.

You were preoccupied with other things, however... Why was Hibari there? And you had noticed that his expression had turned positively murderous at Dino's explanation of what you were doing there. Did you now have to fear for your life? What had you done wrong? _**Had**_ you done anything wrong?

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Christmas came and went but Dino still stayed. He had work to do in Italy, but he said he wouldn't be making this trip again for about six or seven months so he would rather it lasted so he could have some memories. Then, when you were on holiday the next year, maybe you could come to the mansion. On New Years Day, Dino came by with some of his men to celebrate. Your parents were thrilled. They loved Dino too, well, it was obvious since they had introduced him to you in the first place.

The only thing you hadn't counted on was Hibari Kyoya showing up at your doorstep. You gasped and took a step backwards, but he caught your wrist and pulled you outside. The door closed and he turned to face you.

"Hibari-san, um, what... what are you...?" he turned back to the door making sure you weren't being followed then he pulled you along down the street.

"Hibari-san, where are we going? I didn't carry my jacket. Let me go back for it. I..."

"Quiet herbivore," he said and took off his coat then put it around your shoulders and walked on with you in tow. You decided that resistance would be futile so you had better go along with him willingly. You would find something to tell your parents. He stopped when you got to the nearby park under the tree you sometimes liked to sit at.

"Who is Dino Cavallone to you?" he asked turning to face you. You blinked thinking about his question for a moment.

"Dino? He's um... he's my... I'm not sure what he is, really... I..."

"Who is he to you?" he repeated again, his eyes taking on a hard edge. Was that... jealousy you heard in his voice? It couldn't be! Hibari Kyoya did not have relationships and did not get jealous. You were pretty sure it was somewhere in 'Hibari's basic rules of life.' He mistook your silence for something else evidently since he pushed you up against the tree. You turned to see that you had your back against it and when you turned back, his face was no more than three inches from yours. You swallowed with some difficulty and met his slightly softened gaze.

"Herbivore, I don't like to share," he said simply before his lips rested on yours. His hands held your face in place as he plundered your mouth. You felt your legs melt under you and clung to him for support, vaguely noting that his cold hands had slipped into the jacket to go around your waist. You felt him smirk against your lips before he crushed you to him and deepened the kiss further still.

Your bruised lips and the tell-tale red mark on your neck told Dino very clearly what had been happening when you came back inside. He had been standing outside getting ready to go and look for you when you appeared. He patted Hibari's back and you gave back the jacket as Dino smiled at the both of you.

"Thank you for bringing my cousin back home Kyoya, so I'll see you tomorrow?" You felt Hibari's gaze bore into your back as you rushed into the house without a backwards glance. You would explain it all later, but right then, you needed to find a way to disguise that mark on your neck. You vaguely remembered him saying something about marking his territory and shivered. You had liked that side of him, you and your twisted self.

But it had been worth it. The new year had begun and there was a new adventure to be had. Who knew Hibari had felt that way! Certainly not you, but you couldn't wait to explore this fully. Of course there were a dozen explanations to go through first, but you would manage.

"Happy New Year to me," you thought as you headed back downstairs. Now, how to explain that scarf and your brief absence to your unsuspecting parents...


	12. Fran

**This was the biggest challenge of all! I don't really know what to do with Mist Guardians so I avoided them all together, but inspiration doesn't have the same thoughts and since Fran is the one who suits this personality the most, I decided to use him. I think you'll like it. Don't forget to let me know what you think, alright?**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR or any of the characters involved in this fan fiction story. I am only responsible for the plot and nothing else.**

He looked up and your (e/c) eyes met his beautiful bright green ones. He held your gaze, but didn't smile. You raised your hand, gave a small smile and waved. He managed a very little smile and he waved back.

That was how you met Fran.

You went to his grandmother's house later that day with a pie for her. Your mother was very good friends with her after all.

"He's over by the lake," said his grandmother noticing your roving eyes. You smiled and thanked her as you rushed out. Sure enough, there he was, teal-coloured hair and all. He looked up to see you and you smiled and took a step towards him. He raised a finger and looked like he was touching the air. You stopped wondering what he was doing.

A butterfly appeared in front of you and you smiled. You loved butterflies. It rested on your nose and you giggled. He 'touched' the air again and another butterfly appeared fluttering around you. He twirled his finger and five more appeared, seemingly out of thin air. You touched your hair realising that there was a flower in it. You giggled again and turned back to him.

You didn't understand it, but you didn't have to. Somehow, you knew he had done that.

You boldly walked up to him and leaned over to look at your reflection in the lake. He watched you silently. You sat back and turned your head to look at him. Giving him another small smile, you scooted to the side and put your hand on his.

He pulled it away as if burned giving you a look of slight shock.

You turned to him scared that you had done something wrong.

He held your gaze for a moment then he slowly put his hand on top of yours. You looked down at your linked hands and smiled then looked back up at him. You turned back to look at the water. He sighed and lay back looking up at the clouds not once releasing your hand.

"My name is (Name)-chan," you said lying down beside him.

"Fran," he said simply and you smiled even wider.

"I like you Fran," you said and smiled down at him. He looked up at you fascinated. Even at the tender age of nine, you knew that something special had happened between you.

"You do?" he said a bit surprised then continued looking at the clouds. He sat back up and looked right at the lake.

"You won't. I... Nana says I say all the wrong things. I don't... I can't keep friends..." he said and pulled his hand away from yours. You looked at him in shock and your smile returned. You took his hand back.

"My papa says anyone can make friends. I'll prove it. I'll be your friend." He blinked at you and then his small smile returned.

"Promise?" he asked. You nodded.

"Promise. Forever and ever."

"You're weird," he said. You giggled and looked back out on the lake.

"You're weird too Fran," you said. He squeezed your hand. You sat there until his grandmother came looking for you.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

It wasn't even grey. The sun was out and shining like there was no tomorrow. The birds still flew around and chirped their happy songs. The butterflies you now hated flitted everywhere happily... but it wasn't a happy day. Your father had just died and you were having a hard time coping with it. Relatives you had never known and neighbours who did nothing but scold you all day came to tell you how sorry they were.

They all looked so sad, but what right had they to be sad? They hadn't lost their father on their birthday. You had. They hadn't known how special he was to you. Only you knew that. You loved your father so much it broke your heart to think that you would never come back home after a day of playing to a warm bear hug and an offer for a cool glass of juice and a dozen stories.

You skipped another pebble and rested your chin on your knees. You had run to the lake. You couldn't take the crowd in the house any more. Besides, your mother had cried and was still crying. You couldn't stand it when your mother cried. She had fallen to her knees and bent over when she had heard. You had simply looked on helplessly. You couldn't cry. You didn't know why, you just knew that you couldn't.

It was unreal. It was like Fran's special powers. It wasn't real for you. It hadn't happened. You shut your eyes waiting for yourself to wake up from this very bad dream. You heard a branch creak from somewhere above you, then a gentle thud sounded at your side.

Fran was there. You sighed and looked away opening your eyes. You didn't want to see him or talk to him. He sat there for a long time and then he finally spoke.

"So, your father is dead?" he asked. You squeezed your eyes shut and fisted your hands. You didn't dare reply. You weren't going to talk to him.

"(Name)-chan, is your father dead?" he asked again. He was so insensitive sometimes! Why were you even friends with him? The idiot didn't understand how much you were hurting did he? Of course not! Nobody did! Nobody had the right to say it would be alright! It wouldn't be alright! It would never be alright!

"Go away," you whispered.

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't want you here," you said vehemently. He should have gotten up to go, but he sat there stubbornly.

"Why?" he asked again.

"Because you annoy me! My father is dead alright! He died on my birthday getting me my present! I don't want to see you now so go away Fran!" You got up frustrated and began walking into the water. You weren't going to go far, just far enough to make him understand that you didn't want him there.

"So, now that your father is dead, you can't be my friend?" he asked in his normal voice. It was a curious question, not a sad one. Even with his lack of tone variation, you could tell if he was and he wasn't. It made you stop in your tracks. The water lapped at your feet and a wind blew past.

"(Name)-chan, your father said anyone could make friends. Now that he's gone, you don't have to be my friend any more, right?" he asked. You fisted your hands again and bit your lip.

"All right then. I understand now. I'll go away." You turned to see him begin to walk away.

"_(Name)-chan, do you know the meaning of having friends?" your father had asked you one night. "When you do find one, never let them go, okay?"_

"_Okay papa," you had said and he had kissed your temple._

That was one of your most cherished memories. The first tear fell then and you hiccuped. You ran out of the water and grabbed his hand.

"Don't go..." you said and hiccuped, "I... I promised... I promised forever, Fran. Please don't go." You cried then, clutching his sleeve. You felt him pull you into his arms and stroke your back as you cried.

"I'm happy now," he said. You sniffed and clutched his shirt. "I'm happy because (Name)-chan is still my friend." You laughed and cried at the same time. You still had Fran. You weren't alone any more. He was still there and he would probably always be.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

"Oh, Fran, this is beautiful!" you said and gasped at the scene before you.

You were inside your barn, but he had made one of his illusions so that you were under a starry sky with a lot of flowers and bushes around you. There were fireflies too. It was like your own little paradise.

"This is so beautiful," you repeated. He stood beside you touching up on the fireflies and making you laugh with every single one that flew past your head.

"Happy Birthday, (Name)-chan," he said and handed you a flower. It was a real one this time. You couldn't believe he had remembered. You hadn't had a proper birthday since your father had died. You were thirteen now and he had still remembered. You smiled and reached up to kiss his cheek. You held the flower to your nose and sighed. It was lovely, all of it.

"Thank you Fran," you said. He met your gaze and blushed in that way that only you knew. You laughed at his awkwardness and took his hand.

"Come with me," you said and pulled him out of the barn. He came with you and you dragged him right into the river. You laughed kicking off your shoes and turning around and around with him. He held tightly onto your hands and watched you laugh in pure delight. When you stopped, you bent to scoop some water in your hands then you threw it in the air to make a make-believe firework. Under the moonlight it was very pretty.

You looked back at Fran and noticed the look of pure admiration on his face.

"What's wrong?" you asked. He shook his head and smiled.

"Nothing. You just look very pretty tonight (Name)-chan," he said. You chuckled and playfully punched his arm. You blushed and he touched your cheek.

"You're all red. Did I say something wrong?" he asked in his usual blunt manner.

"No," you said and stepped closer, "you said the right thing." You reached up and kissed his lips and he stood there stunned. You blushed a little deeper.

"What was that (Name)-chan?" he asked touching his lips. You giggled and held up your hands in defeat. Honestly!

"That was a kiss silly," you said. He spent a moment regarding you. He was deciding if he liked it. You hoped he wasn't upset with you. The other girls in the village had told you that if a boy didn't like how you kissed, you would never be kissed again by anyone... ever! You had decided, since he was the only guy you liked enough, he would do as a first kiss.

Apparently he decided he liked it. Taking your face in his hands, he tipped it up and bent to kiss you. You smiled and hugged him returning his kiss. It was truly a perfect birthday.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

"(Name)-chan, I'm leaving tomorrow. These strange fairies came for me and they say I'm very important to them. I... is something wrong?" he asked noticing that you had looked away. You couldn't hide emotions like Fran could. Of course he had to leave. It had to happen some time. He had taken to wearing fruit-based hats created by his powers. Today he had an apple. You chuckled despite yourself and used that to push the words out of your mouth.

"You should go," you said and smiled. You even cocked your head to the side. You touched his face and then leaned up to kiss his cheek. There was a whole world out there you wouldn't get to know. He had the opportunity to go and see it and you wouldn't be the one to stop him. You would lose the one person who had been there for you for the longest time, but he would come back. He had to. No, you were sure he would.

You let him go and he did. For the next seven years, you hadn't heard anything about or from him. His grandmother was sure he was fine. You were sure too. You didn't see him or hear from him, but you knew, deep down that he was just fine.

After all that time, you decided it was time to follow Fran and see his world; the place that had become his home for the last seven years. He would be happy to see you. It would be a nice surprise and an adventure after all that time. He should be happy to see you.

The city wasn't like you had imagined it would be. The only thing his grandmother had given you was an obscure address. The place it led to was abandoned and run down. Fran couldn't live there. It had to be some mistake. You would rest and find him in the morning. That was easier said than done. You sighed after a tiring day and sat on a bench in the park looking up at the clouds passing by. It had been a long time since you looked up at them and forgot all your troubles... almost seven years, you mused.

"Hey there, pretty girl," said a male voice from your side. You took one look at the two guys and knew at once they didn't mean you well. You got up and tried to walk away but one of them came to block your path from the front. You looked from one to the other, your mind ringing a thousand warnings.

"We just want to talk," they said and cornered you. You shut your eyes and prayed for a miracle. You didn't want to be here. You just wanted to find Fran and leave this cold world on its own. He was warmth and happiness and...

"(Name)-chan, I didn't know you lived in town," you heard. Your eyes shot up and grateful tears sprung to your eyes.

"Ushishishi, so this is the girl you were talking about," said a blonde man with a crown on his head. Beside him was the teal-haired man you had come to find. You ran right into his arms knowing it would all be fine. The two men didn't like losing their 'prey' and Threatened you. The blonde man stepped in front of Fran and told him to take you away while he dealt with the problem. Fran took your hand like he had so many times before in the past.

"Why did you pick a fight (Name)-chan? Those men were pretty strong..." you threw your arms around him and sniffed. He had been there just like you hoped he would. It may have been coincidence. It may have been pure dumb luck, but you were safe and sound with him.

"It's Christmas, silly, I came to surprise you. Besides, you didn't come back home so I had to come and find you. I did say forever, remember?" you said. He squeezed your hand and you smiled. He understood.

"Thank you, (Name)-chan," he said looking straight at you. He wasn't smiling, but you knew he meant it. You hugged him and sighed. All was right with the world once more. You wouldn't spend another Christmas alone now that you had found him.


	13. G

**This plot was the most difficult one yet. After much deliberation and thought, I have decided to end this with one of the first guardians. I really couldn't find plots for any of the other characters. I'm sorry to anyone that I've disappointed. So, here's the final chapter of 'Tis the Season and it's the longest one yet. It's late and I apologise profusely to anyone who has been waiting, but I thank you so much for your support, silent readers, reviewers and all. Hope you like it. Let me know? Many thanks!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR nor do I claim any rights to it or any of the characters in this fan fiction story except the one OC. I am only responsible for the plot and nothing else. The events here do not refer to any people living or dead.**

Business was slow today. You sighed for the billionth time and absently twirled the wax candle between your fingers. Nothing particularly interesting happened in this boring town. It had been very interesting those first days, of course. Your mother and father had sent you here to live with your bog brother in the town, but really, there was nothing for you to do at home.

Besides, there was always the odd crime now and again to keep things at at least a level of interest, but not enough for you. The bank was just across from the shop so you could watch the rich come in and go out and occasionally a middle-class man like the store owner and wonder if you would ever get to be one of those people. Their lives must be grand. You sighed again and lay the candle gently in its case then went to put it back in the back. There were some candles that the owner was trying to create that he'd heard about. The wax was mixed with some fragrances and when burned, they made a room smell wonderful.

You thought that was rather clever, but really, where could candles take you? You only worked here to be able to have some form of independence. Your brother had a family and you didn't want to burden them more than absolutely necessary. You could have done those other jobs that women were so expert at; piano, knitting, cooking, washing... but you were pretty hopeless at all that. You were rather good at this though. The candles, though a bit dull, could come out in any shape or size and sometimes you would be allowed to help in making them. It was worth the extra pay.

The sun was going down, however and you had to get back to the house before it got too dark. The streets weren't very safe at night. You bade farewell to the owner and headed down the street. You made a left then walked a little further down. There was an alley there that was the fastest way to the other side of town. You went through it and took a right then walked straight ahead. You had the directions in your head as clearly as the first day you had received them.

Your sister-in-law had given them to you when you first came and you had never forgotten. You were good at that. Directions had been your forte for as long as you could remember. When you were children you played with your brother and his friends (most of whom were older boys) who would make fun of you. Being a girl, you weren't allowed to be in any of their games and it made you upset. What was so wrong about playing with them? Some of them were your age too!

One day, they had chased you away after going into the forest to hunt something or other. You had made it back home safely but when it got dark and he hadn't come back, your mother began to worry. It wasn't safe in the woods, of course, but the boys were being just that – boys. In the morning, your father let you lead them to where the boys had been.

As it turned out, they all had the sense to stay put although they were all hopelessly lost and were overjoyed to see you. Your smug smile was well worth it. They never teased you again. However, they had all gone to the city to find their fortunes. All of them were married now and taking care of their own families.

You had even met one or two of them, although briefly, but it took you way back. You smiled as you passed the vegetable market then remembered that you had to get some tomatoes and peas for supper that night. Your sister-in-law, Cara couldn't get around much since she was heavily pregnant so cooking would be up to you following her instructions to make supper. The last attempt had been a disaster and you had been loath to cook again.

This time, there was no helping it so you would have to do it. She promised she would be right there to help you if you were that scared. You liked Cara a lot. She was a very nice young woman and she loved your brother with all her heart. Your nephews and niece were very lively and you were always happy to help out with them as well. It was hard work and you wondered how after four children, she could still want more. Cara had smiled when you asked her and said you would understand when you were a mother and added that she wouldn't mind having four more!

You paid for your vegetables and went to get some cabbage. A nice soup would do them a world of good and though you wanted to get something sweet for the children, your purse was stretched enough as is. They would have to understand this time. As you crossed the street, you heard a tussle right behind you and someone slammed into you. You stumbled forward, your groceries spilling all over the ground.

You shut your eyes waiting for the impact. You didn't like falling so much, but the experience was always over quickly. It was what came after that thoroughly embarrassed you. People showed a little too much concern sometimes and it was positively mortifying to know that so many people had see you hit the ground, regardless of whether you tripped over something or were pushed there accidentally.

You peeked at the ground however and saw that it wasn't getting any closer. There was no pain, just a pressure around your waist and a furious breathing behind you. You were being held by a man! You wrested yourself from his hold and took a step back shocked. Your eyes met the most peculiar ones you had ever seen in your life. They were a rather pale red, almost pink!

His hair was a lighter shade of that red and he had a tattoo across the right side of his face. That if anything made him look positively dangerous. He was probably one of those gang members you had heard a lot about. Maybe he was marking you so he could come for you later! You looked away and went to salvage those vegetables you could. You were going to finish that up and then go straight home.

"Are you alright?" he asked reaching for your hand. You turned to face him again and nodded unable to find your voice. He was pretty handsome, you had to admit, but really, who went around just bumping into people randomly like that? That wasn't normal behaviour! He was a ruffian for sure. Behind him, a golden-haired man appeared and smiled at you.

"Um, G, I think you had better let it go. She looks about to bolt," he said with a chuckled and patted the pink-haired man's shoulder. He turned an apologetic smile to you then and took G's hand from yours.

"I'm very sorry about that. Can we get you more vegetables to pay for those we damaged?" he asked. You looked back at the mess of peas and dirtied cabbage. Well, you could use the cabbage still, but the peas were gone. It was either accept the offer or starve the family. Your savings were part of the family's household budget as per your request so you really didn't have any more money. You looked back at the golden-haired man and took a step back.

It was still more sensible to turn and run away from the strange men. They probably didn't even mean to keep their word and you had heard all about the strategies men used these days. The man chuckled again as G brushed some dirt off his shirt.

"We won't hurt you," said G, not meeting your gaze. You gave him a brief glance before settling your gaze on the golden-haired man with the kind smile. He bowed and held out his hand to you. What was this? What were you meant to do? Nobody had ever bowed to you before! In your dreams, maybe, but you were an important person there and nobody had the right to make you do anything. They bowed because they could do nothing else. This here was a real life situation and you were at a complete loss!

"My name is Giotto, signora, and I promise upon my honour to replace your vegetables and get you home safely. Do you trust me?" he asked. G stood beside him with his hands shoved in his pockets. You looked from one to the other and decided that you should get the vegetables. You nodded and straightened up a bit.

"But I'll only get what I had before and no more, then you must let me go home on my own," you said. Giotto stood with a beaming smile and stretched his hand before him letting you go first. You went ahead to another vegetable stall and picked out some more peas and tomatoes. Some of them had been trod on and were obviously useless. Behind you, a conversation was going on and although they tried to keep it quiet, you heard pretty much all of it.

"She's very pretty, isn't she?" said Giotto. At this, his companion grunted and muttered something you couldn't quite get.

"Oh come on G, isn't she much prettier than that Isabella girl you were after last month. Really, what were you thinking going for her? Not that it's not possible, but really..." You heard an oof and another muttered grumble followed by a more audible answer.

"If you're done criticising my taste in women, I would like to get back to the house. Get the woman her vegetables so we can get back to our original plan please," he said and Giotto chuckled then. You picked out a good number of tomatoes for supper and some more peas then turned to smile at Giotto. He pulled out his purse and handed the shopkeeper some coins then turned to you.

"I've paid for everything so you can go back home now. I'm very sorry for the bother signora... um... I didn't get your name," he said.

"(Name)," you said with another smile, "now, please excuse me, it's getting late and the children will get very upset." Decidedly that was not the best selection of words to get out of that tangle, but it worked. Both men wore surprised expressions on their faces though for G it was brief and, although you were sure you imagined it, slightly more pained. You shrugged. You would probably never see them again. They didn't even look like they belonged to this side of town.

You turned and walked back to the house and didn't look back. There was no need. You had had enough of an adventure for one day. Supper was a success, much to your surprise. Cara and your brother were proud of this achievement. That night, as you lay in your bed, you dreamed of a pink-haired, red-eyed handsome man coming to your rescue...

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

"This is becoming a bad habit of yours you know," you said turning to look at G with your hands on your hips. He said nothing, merely smiled and leaned against the alley wall.

"I can't help it. I was sent to watch over you for a while," he said nonchalantly. You shrugged and walked on with him not far behind. You had noticed him following you every day for two weeks now and at first you were scared, then relieved. He always left as soon as you got to your front door. Then you were flattered and began another fantasy where maybe he had fallen in love with you at first sight and couldn't get you out of his head. The answer he had given you just now wasn't what you expected.

It wasn't like you particularly wanted him to like you. You didn't get much male attention so really, you wouldn't know what to do about it if he did like you in that way. There was no relief at finding out that you were a job however. You felt sad and a little dejected if anything. And why shouldn't he like you? Was he saying that you were ugly? Was that it? You fisted your hands and took a deep breath. Now you were just being paranoid. You didn't need him to like you. There were more important things to think about.

"Tell Giotto I said hello," you said and turned away from your usual path to get some carrots and a bit of cheese. You really should talk to your brother about getting a small vegetable garden. You could help tend it over the weekends and Cara could make a little money selling the produce.

"What's wrong?" asked G from right behind you. You jumped and turned to look right at him. Damn him and all his handsomeness. You turned back to your vegetables and absently began inspecting carrots and a few lemons.

"Nothing, I just need to buy some more things then head home. Is there something I can help you with?" you asked. He smirked and watched you not replying. He crossed his arms and stood there until you went back out. You went all the way to your door and he, as usual, left you to go ahead, made sure you were inside, then left. You sighed and leaned against the door. What was wrong with you? He was just a random stranger; a handsome random stranger who felt the need to look after you... No, he was asked to watch you, hadn't he said that? That meant that Giotto was his superior or something, right? You didn't understand some of these relationships, and you didn't really want to bother.

"Are you alright (Name)? He's gone now," said Cara from her seat in the living room. Yo hadn't even seen her there. You nearly jumped out of your skin before blushing when her implication finally hit you.

"Who... I don't know what you mean," you said heading straight for the kitchen.

"(Name), I'm not blind to some of these things. He is rather handsome, no?" she said with a giggle. You blushed deeper mortified. She had _seen_ him? Bad and getting worse.

"You know, I think I know him. He's rather well known around here if I'm not wrong. Gabriella from next door says he lives with his friends, the blonde one and they go around helping others. It's very nice of them no?" she said picking out the carrots and rinsing them in some water you had fetched earlier.

"I... I guess so," you said.

"You know, for what it's worth, I think you should go after him. He looks scary but he's not a bad sort," she said sitting down when you shooed her from the stove. That was your job now and you would get it done.

"He doesn't like me like that," you said grabbing a knife and slicing the carrots with amazing precision. Anger did something interesting to your reflexes. Was it anger really, or something else? You stopped for a moment, took a deep breath and put the carrots in the boiling pot of water.

"How do you know, did he tell you that?" she asked. You stopped again in the process of cutting the rest of the cabbage from the day before. He actually hadn't.

"I didn't think so. If you sit back and let life happen to you, what will happen to you when something this good comes along? Go after it (Name), there's only so many chances you get every lifetime," she said patting her belly meaningfully. According to your mother, Cara had come from a pretty well-to-do family and had thrown away what inheritance she would have gotten to marry your brother. She was happy as far as you could tell and always had a smile on her face. Maybe you should take the chance you thought smiling properly.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Christmas was the busiest time of the year for the candle-shop. You had plenty to do and that meant more business so you could afford Christmas gifts for everyone that year. You had even managed to get one each for Giotto and G. It didn't make sense to give only one of them a gift. It would be odd and would probably give the wrong impression.

Of course you had to budget for sweets and the like for the children. They would be disappointed if you didn't get them anything. It was your own fault for deciding that you would spoil them rotten, being their only aunt.

As usual, G came to escort you home. It had been another four days since the conversation with Cara and you had decided you would tell him how you felt that day. It was almost Christmas, the time when miracles happened, right? You had heard enough stories and although they weren't very real and were mostly meant for children, you couldn't help it! It was the only time of year you could really believe in something special happening!

You turned into the alleyway and stopped. He stopped beside you and gave you a curious look. You handed him one of the gifts you had been carrying along. You wanted to give him his first and gauge his reaction before handing him Giotto's. If he played it cool or looked like he didn't appreciate it, you could save face by giving Giotto's as well. If he gave you a positive reaction, you would look extra good in his eyes if you had one for his friend as well. It was a wonderful plan, but you pulled out Giotto's first.

"What's this?" he asked taking the carefully wrapped package from you.

"Well, that's... that's for Giotto," you said and blushed. He looked at you and you were sure for a moment there was something else in his eyes. Hurt? Pain? There was another emotion there that died a bit as you blushed deeper. He shoved the package into his pocket and looked at you. The emotion had passed and the look in his eyes now reflected impatience. This wasn't going well at all.

"I got one for you too," you said pulling it out hastily. You handed it to him, your face flushing a third shade of crimson. His eyes softened and he took a step towards you. It was surprising to say the least. He put a hand on the back of your head then kissed your forehead. You blinked not daring to move in case this was another one of your stupid day dreams.

"Thank you (Name)," he said gently.

He looked down met your wide-eyed gaze then smirked, rubbed your cheek and bent to brush his lips against yours. You shivered as he pulled away and your eyes fluttered shut. He smiled and took your hand. You opened your eyes to see him smile at you.

"Come on, you're going to be late," he said and led you out into the street. No, this wasn't a dream, for sure. You reached up for your lips and smiled. You were glad it wasn't a dream. That would have been crushing. You looked up and gave thanks to whatever angel had been looking out for you. Christmas truly did have a certain kind of magic and you would kill anyone who disagreed!


End file.
